A Reading:

Caregiving demands lots of physical and emotional energy. It is frequently hard, draining work. We don't have an unlimited supply of energy, and so we must figure out what the source of replenishment is for each of us. The principle of burnout is that more energy goes out from a system than comes into it. Do we think about the ways our energy is replenished and build them into our life? The Psalmist spoke of "lifting our eyes to the mountains" to find help. Are we built up again through time in the mountains, meditation, relaxation, outdoor activity, reading, exercise, prayer, creative expression, or a combination of many opportunities?

— Joan Guntzelman, Prayers for Caregivers, St. Mary's Press, Tempe, AZ, 1995, p. 140.

Let us pray …

Dear God, when I spend myself without replenishment, I wind up being no help to anyone. I know what nourishes and refreshes me. Thank you for these gifts, and may I turn to them readily. I recognize that I have far more to offer when I am vibrant and full of life than when I am burned out. Praise to you, my God. Amen.