WORKING AND
CAREGIVING
By Gail K. Kachnycz; 1 April 2021
Chronic illness
affects not only the person who is diagnosed with a medical condition, but all
the members of the family in different ways. If the person experiencing
progressive illness is the primary breadwinner, and needs to work fewer hours
or actually apply for disability benefits, the family income will be affected.
The whole family should be included in talks about finances. There are
emotional and spiritual effects as well. Here are some examples of how
different family members may be impacted:
·
Income may be reduced due to decreased hours or
disability benefits.
·
The spouse may need to continue working, begin
working, or take on an additional job.
·
Medical insurance and medical bills will be a
big part of the picture. The decision to work, and how much, may depend on if
the job includes medical insurance as a benefit.
·
Children need to understand that they may need
to earn the money for sports activities, school trips, and so forth.
·
Children of high school age may need to seek
part time employment to fund their activities, save for college/job training,
or even contribute to some of the family expenses (for example, if they use the
family car they may contribute to the cost of car insurance as well as paying
for gas).
· Everyone may need to look at ways to live more economically. Examples: walking/biking/riding public transit, checking thrift stores for clothing.
EMOTIONAL:
·
The primary breadwinner who must decrease hours
due to illness may feel they have let the family down.
·
Any of the family members who must seek
employment to make up the lost income will have the added stress of the job
search, and then training when the job starts. If the added income is from a
home business or self-employment, there is stress of launching the business.
·
There may not be enough income for mortgage or
car payments. Decisions about selling a car or house can be draining.
Relocating to a more affordable dwelling may mean uprooting from the church
fellowship, enrolling children in new schools, and leaving neighbors who have
become friends.
·
Bills may accumulate until a new source of added
income is secured. This may result in higher interest rates, bills going to
collections, and damage to the credit rating. Stress, stress, stress!
·
If the caregiver is employed outside the home,
there is concern about the loved one managing at home alone.
SPIRITUAL:
Worry about finances, concern about the health of the loved one, and the stress these forces place on the family all have spiritual impact. I recommend that the entire process of addressing financial issues be bathed in prayer. Include all family members, adjusting explanations if there are young children. This is an opportunity for teaching them Biblical principles of finances and to trust that the Lord will honor His promises:
I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread. Psalm 37: 25, 26
For this reason I say to you, do not worry
about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you
will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing… And
which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?... And do
not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying…
Your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these
things will be added to you…
Luke 12: 22-32
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7 NASB
When my husband
went on disability, for several months we had family meetings every couple of
weeks to share scriptures related to God’s promises of provision, pray, and discuss
ideas that would either save money or bring in more income. At the time our
youngest child was just starting high school and another was in college. We
needed to both tighten our belts and work extra hours. After a year, the Lord
opened a job for me that was full time and included health insurance for all
family members.
Be prepared to think outside the box and watch the Lord provide in unexpected ways. Cultivate an attitude of gratefulness, and continue to contribute financially to the work of the Lord.
“…Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
so that there may be food in my house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD
of hosts, “if I will not open for you a blessing until it overflows…”
Malachi 3:10 NASB 1995
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