Guest post by Linda W. Yezak

I’ve never had children of my own, so until my elderly mother needed me, I’d never really been a caretaker. Then, in 2020—right in the heart of Covid season—I got thrown into the deep end. Daily, that one-word prayer scraped its way to heaven: Help!

That’s when the “holy nudges” began in earnest. You’ve heard them, I’m sure. Those quiet thoughts in your head guiding you as you scramble from one duty to the next.

One of the earliest nudges I received during my caregiving adventure hit early one Saturday morning. Mom called me at 4:30 and said between coughs that she’d been coughing nonstop all night. Three hours and every available OTC remedy later, she was still going nonstop. At this point, I was certain she had Covid.

I called the ER, hoping for practical advice. The woman listened to me and said to take Mom to her doctor Monday morning. She offered no advice about what to do over the weekend.

I was at my wit’s end, but then the thought hit me. “Think of what she didn’t say.”

She didn’t say, “Call an ambulance!” or “Bring her to the ER!” or even “Take her to the clinic.”

Her unconcern settled me. My next step, since OTC meds weren’t working, was to consult Dr. Google for home remedies. I found one I had all the ingredients for—lemon, ginger, and honey—and was on the phone, reading the list to my husband for him to bring them to me from home. But Mom stopped me at honey. “That’s what got me into this mess in the first place.”

Sure enough, although she’d never been allergic to honey before, something in that particular brand had set off a respiratory reaction. The cure? Benadryl.

Nudges sound like your own voice, but they give you guidance from a warehouse of wisdom you don’t have. The nudges I had during this period were always simple, one-sentence suggestions, and despite some of them seeming cryptic, I knew exactly what was being asked of me. Our Father promises us He will guide us, and He does. Even when all you can say is, “Help!”

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.
Isaiah 58:11 NIV

Linda W. Yezak is an award-winning author with bragging rights to an honorable mention in Saturday Evening Post’s “Great American Fiction Contest” in 2015. Her short story, “Slider,” is included in their 2016 anthology. Though living the blessed life of semi-retirement, she still works as a freelance editor and occasional author. Follow her on Facebook, Instragram, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Tracy Crump dispenses hope in her award-winning book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness. A former intensive care nurse, she cared for her parents and her mother-in-law and understands both the burdens and joys of caregiving. Her writing has been featured in Guideposts books, The Upper Room, Focus on the Family, and many other publications, and she has contributed 28 stories to Chicken Soup for the Soul® books. She also conducts writing workshops, freelance edits, and produces The Write Life newsletter for writers. But her most important job is Grandma to five completely unspoiled grandchildren.