Caregiver Struggles No One Talks About

In this week's episode of Hope for the Caregiver, I continue my two series: Difficult Issues Caregivers Face but Don't Want to Talk About and Hymns Every Caregiver Should Know. I start with a memory of a pastor who once told me, "Peter, you do yourself a disservice—you make this look easier than it is." He was right. For years I made caregiving look manageable, even while quietly drowning inside. That appearance of strength often kept others from stepping in or even knowing what to say. Meals and casseroles are thoughtful, but they're not enough. Caregivers need more than temporary relief—we need sustainable support. Vocational direction, financial guidance, and mentors willing to walk with us can make the difference between barely surviving and building a life that endures. Scripture reminds us of El Roi, the God who sees. Just as He saw Hagar, Zacchaeus, and the multitudes, He also sees caregivers who mask their exhaustion. And if God sees, the church must learn to see too—not just the obvious needs, but the hidden cracks in a caregiver's life. I share about Gracie's 98 surgeries, including a recent five-month stretch in the hospital, and how impossible it has been to plan a "normal" career or even a five-week calendar. Caregiving has reshaped everything in my life, and for too long I didn't have people asking the deeper questions about what was sustainable. Then I take you to the Caregiver Keyboard, where I introduce this week's hymn. I not only play it, but also show how its harmonies—tension, dissonance, and resolution—mirror the emotional weight caregivers carry. The story behind the hymn ties directly into this theme: before we can encourage or rescue anyone, we first have to see them. I close by sharing from my new book, A Caregiver's Companion: Scriptures, Hymns, and 40 Years of Insights for Life's Toughest Role. I wrote it to give caregivers—and the church—a vocabulary of hope. Because healthy caregivers make better caregivers.   Get this book today!