GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 9:17
A Message for Caregivers
A national magazine recently devoted several pages to a discussion about caregivers. The article discussed the financial, emotional, and physical facets of caregiving. However, there is another aspect of caregiving that might be called “caregiving guilt” or “angst.” A caregiver recently talked about her son, who was diagnosed with a serious illness shortly after birth and placed in a hospital intensive care unit. She stayed by his side, but there was nothing she could do. The hospital staff cared for the baby, but the mother sat helplessly by his side. When he came home, he had to have constant care, but the mother could not take any of the pain. The baby survived and, today, is a grown adult man.
This mother’s angst, however, is similar to that experienced by caregivers again and again. They cannot take any of the pain from the patient. Oh, they can prepare meals, provide comfort, encourage, and pray, but the caregiver cannot assume any of the pain, emotional stress, psychological trauma, or spiritual turmoil of the patient.
Caregivers can identify with the father described by St. Mark. “And one of the crowd answered him, ‘Teacher, I brought my son to you, having a mute spirit.’” (Mark 9:17)
It is possible to hear this father’s fear and pain in his voice. There is not much information in this short description; for example, there is little information about the boy’s age. He was an only son. (Luke 9:38) It is likely that the father sought help from all the available sources, but the boy did not improve. This father, this caregiver, however, did not give up; he continued to seek help for his son. One of the greatest tasks of a caregiver, aside from keeping himself or herself healthy, is to encourage the recipient. This is surely one lesson that is prominent in this story.
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