Pulled Thin but Held by Heaven: Overcoming Caregiver Burnout with God’s Strength
Scripture:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
Isaiah 40:29
When Love Wears You Out
If you’ve ever been a caregiver—especially to a child with special needs—you know there’s a kind of tiredness that sleep doesn’t fix. It’s not just physical. It’s emotional. It’s spiritual. It’s the kind of exhaustion that seeps into your bones and whispers, “I can’t keep doing this.”
I’ve been there.
When Madison was younger, life was a whirlwind. She was nonstop—always climbing, exploring, touching, or testing something. If there was something to get into, she’d find it. She kept every teacher on their toes and every part of me on edge.
Her challenges went far beyond the usual childhood chaos. She could be physical and aggressive. I carried bruises from her frustration and fear. There were nights I sat on the floor beside her bed, tears streaming down my face, whispering, “Lord, please help her sleep. Please help me make it through another night.”
I had very little sleep because it was always interrupted. Every sound made me jump. Every movement had me awake again. I lived in a constant state of alert—half-awake, half-exhausted—for years. My body started to give out, my emotions frayed, and my spirit felt numb.
It’s not that I didn’t love her. I loved her with everything in me. But love alone can’t refill an empty tank. There comes a point where your strength runs out, and that’s when you realize—you need God’s.
When You’re Running on Empty
There’s a verse I clung to in those sleepless years:
“When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” — Psalm 61:2
My heart wasn’t just overwhelmed—it felt buried.
I remember one night, standing in the kitchen at 2 a.m., crying quietly so Madison wouldn’t hear. I was so drained I could barely pray. I just whispered, “God, I can’t do this anymore.”
And right in that quiet, I felt Him speak to my heart: “You were never meant to do this alone.”
That moment changed everything.
See, I thought faith meant holding it all together. Smiling. Pushing through. Pretending I was okay. But God was showing me that faith isn’t about pretending you’re strong—it’s about admitting you’re not, and trusting He still is.
Worship in the Weariness
From that point on, I started doing small things that brought me back to life.
When the house felt heavy, I’d turn on worship music—sometimes softly, sometimes loud enough to drown out the noise in my head. When I was too tired to pray, I’d just say, “Jesus, help me,” and let that be enough.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
That verse became my anthem. Rest wasn’t a vacation—it was a moment of peace in His presence. Sometimes it came in a worship song, sometimes in tears, sometimes in a short drive where I could just breathe again.
And let me tell you, I had to pull down a miracle from heaven daily—sometimes hourly.
When my patience was gone, I’d declare:
• “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
• “No weapon formed against us shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17)
• “Greater is He that is in me.” (1 John 4:4)
Even when things didn’t change instantly, something in me did. Worship became my weapon. Prayer became my breath.
When Your Body Breaks but Your Faith Holds
Caregiver burnout isn’t just emotional—it’s physical. The stress, the sleeplessness, the constant alertness—it wears your body down.
I began to feel it everywhere: in my back, in my chest, in my bones. My body was waving a white flag, but my heart still wanted to keep going.
And then one day, I came across this verse while journaling:
“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber.” —
Psalm 121:3
That one line reminded me: God doesn’t sleep even when I can’t. He’s awake, watching, working, guarding what I love most.
That was a turning point. I realized I had been trying to be God in my home—controlling, protecting, managing every moment—when what I really needed was to let God be God.
Encouraging Myself in the Lord
There’s a verse that says:
“But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” — 1 Samuel 30:6
And that’s exactly what I had to do.
On the hard days, I’d make coffee, open my Bible, and say out loud, “God, You are my strength. You are my portion. You are my peace.”
Sometimes I didn’t feel it. Sometimes I said it through tears. But every time, I could feel faith rising again.
I learned to praise before I felt peace.
There’s power in worshipping before the breakthrough. It shifts your focus from the chaos around you to the Christ within you.
And slowly, piece by piece, my spirit began to heal.
Tiny Miracles in the Middle of the Mess
When you’re deep in caregiver life, progress can feel invisible. You can give 110% and still end the day wondering if anything changed.
But God started showing me His fingerprints in the small things.
A calmer morning.
A full night’s sleep (even if it only happened once in a while).
A teacher sharing, , “She had a great day today.”
Those moments were golden. They were God’s quiet way of saying, “See? I’m still here. I’m still working.”
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
And I held onto that with everything I had.
What Helped Me Refill My Tank
If you’re reading this and you’re running on fumes, I want to share what helped me survive—and later thrive—through those long years.
1. Rest Without Guilt
Rest isn’t laziness—it’s obedience. Even Jesus withdrew to pray and recharge (Luke 5:16). Take a nap. Step outside for air. Let your body and soul breathe.
2. Let Worship Do the Heavy Lifting
When you don’t have words, let worship speak for you. Play it in the car, in the kitchen, while folding laundry. Worship changes the atmosphere—even if the circumstances stay the same.
3. Invite God Into Every Moment
Don’t wait for a quiet time to talk to Him. Whisper a prayer while you’re brushing your teeth or stirring dinner. God meets you in the middle of the mess.
4. Speak Life
The words you say over yourself matter. Start each morning declaring:
“God’s grace is enough for today.”
“Peace reigns in this home.”
“Joy lives here.”
Your mouth can shift your mood.
5. Accept Help—Without Shame
God never asked you to do this alone. Let people help. Say yes to the meal. Yes to the friend who offers to watch your child. It’s not weakness; it’s wisdom.
“Two are better than one… if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
6. Journal Your Miracles
I started writing down every answered prayer—big or small. On the days I felt forgotten, I’d flip through those pages and remember: He’s never failed me yet.
When Burnout Turns to Breakthrough
I wish I could say I woke up one day and everything was easy—but it didn’t happen like that. What did happen was transformation.
God used the hard years to build strength in me that no self-help book ever could. Every tear became a seed. Every sleepless night became a testimony.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” —
2 Corinthians 12:9
That verse still makes me tear up, because it’s true.
He didn’t wait for me to get strong before He showed up—He showed up in my weakness.
And somewhere in that process, I stopped just surviving. I started shining again.
Looking Back Now
When I look at Madison today—whole, healthy, thriving—I see the goodness of God all over our story.
There were years I couldn’t see the light. I wondered if the chaos would ever end. But God was faithful. He turned every ounce of pain into purpose.
Now, I can honestly say: burnout didn’t win—breakthrough did.
To Every Weary Caregiver
If you’re reading this and you feel unseen, please know—God sees you.
He sees the tears no one else does.
He hears the prayers you whisper in the dark.
And He’s not disappointed in your exhaustion—He’s ready to meet you in it.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” — Psalm 28:7
You’re not failing. You’re fighting. You’re doing holy work, even when it feels messy and unseen.
And when you feel pulled thin, remember this—you’re still held by Heaven.
Final Thoughts
Caregiving will stretch you, yes—but it will also shape you. It will break you down, then build you back up with a strength you didn’t know you had.
There’s no burnout too deep for God’s restoration and no weakness too heavy for His grace.
So if you’re barely hanging on today, take a deep breath and whisper:
“Lord, I can’t do this without You—so please, do it through me.”
And watch Him do exactly that.