Refilling the Reservoirs : Spiritual Care for the Exhausted Caregiver

Life as a caregiver is hard. There are no easy answers, and hope can feel elusive. At their best, medical care providers, government support agencies, schools, and legal advisors may effectively meet concrete needs. But who cares for the caregiver''s soul?

Bos, a Lutheran pastor and a fellow caregiver, shares a spiritually grounded message of solidarity steeped in the conviction that God meets us in the hard places--even when it''s difficult to see beyond our pain. Her deeply empathetic reflections remind us that it''s okay to feel emotions ranging from grief to anger to searing loss. It''s even okay to hope. Amid the loss of identity, the sense of chaos, and the double-edged knowledge of good and evil that comes with caregiving, we can lean into the God who is "unknowable, but trustworthy. Consistent and dynamic. Just like us. Just like life."

And in those moments when we cannot believe? Bos reminds us "there are thousands of others--millions, if you count the communion of saints who have gone before us--who will believe on your behalf until you are able to experience God''s closeness again." Bos offers readers the gifts of humor, solidarity, and faith rooted in the lived experiences of caregivers from all walks of life.