Stable Disease
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
Psalm 139:16
Recently, while catch a You Tube, someone battling cancer used the term, “Stable Disease,” for their current phase of the cancer treatment.
That means that the cancer keeps returning, and they deal with it, bit by bit, letting it grow, and treating it as it grows.
It’s repetitious.
And yes, there’s uncertainty and fear built into that.
The term, itself, is concerning… “Stable… DISEASE?”
Let me just say that I was not a “good little cancer patient.”
I did not do all that “they” recommended I should do. Mainly, it was about chemo.
But I followed, prayerfully, what I thought was best for me.
The jury is still out on those results.
I say all of that to mention that those of us dealing with a so-called, life or death, diagnosis, like cancer, feel a level of anxiety, uncertainty, and dread that is so difficult to manage.
It can be even more painfully difficult, as we wrestle with faith, and even people that choose to question the strength of that faith.
And then, there can be others, like the medical community, aware of it or not, intentional about it or not, who pressure, belittle, and scare us further, making us doubt things like our “remission,” our “survivorship,” and the hope for our very lives.
I’m in a limbo period right now. I don’t know what’s going on.
I don’t want to give any more air space to it, beyond that right now.
But the thoughts… they come up.
Still, His Word, which does not come back empty…
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11
Therefore, regardless of my diagnosis, I am clinging, even as much of a Doubting Thomas as I can be, to Scripture over my life.
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
Psalm 139:16
That means that The Most High knew, in creating me, before I ever was on this planet, that a cancer diagnosis would be a part of my life. He knows exactly how that will play out.
I try to soothe myself with those ancient Holy Words.
My times are in Your Hand.
“My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.”
Psalm 31:15
A deadly disease, like cancer, is a foe that, yes, can “hunt us down relentlessly.”
It can occur for us, whether we take a treatment approach like that of “Stable Disease.”
But our times, even our “cancer times,” are In His Hands.
That is Stability.
May each of us live, heal, thrive, and experience THAT!
ABBA-
We come to You, in The Name of Our Savior, Yahshua.
You know the intense fear we live.
You know the diagnosis.
You know our past, our health history.
You know what threatens us.
We feel so uncertain and scared.
Help us. Stabilize us.
Forgive us for sins that focus on doubt, not faith, in You.
Help us to unlearn this tormenting fear.
Thank You.
We receive it all, by faith, and with a brave, but scared, heart now, In Yahshua’s Name.
Amen.
AMEN.
Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse
Punch, The Monkey
Punch, a monkey at The Ichikawa Zoo in Japan, has recently gotten some attention.
Mainly, for his affection for his stuffed monkey.
Apparently, the little one has been clinging, quite tightly, to it, bonding with it.
And that has been a bit of a challenge for the monkey’s overall well-being.
It preferred connecting to its stuffed monkey, instead of the other primates.
There was a refusal to connect with the living animals, until, more recently, when there had been some socialization between Punch and other monkeys.
The photos are adorable.
And who cannot relate?
A child and their teddy bear, right?
Mother-Child Bond.
As a mother…
“As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you...”
Isaiah 66:13
It reminded me a bit of The Harlow Study of the 1950s and 1960s, done on the Rhesus Monkeys.
In short, they were studying caregiving, nurturing and bonding behaviors, focusing on the primates and their offspring.
They did an experiment, “The Cloth Mother Versus the Wire Mother” to test how strong bonding patterns would be.
They rigged the experiment with two artificial mothers. One was made from cloth, a stuffed monkey, like Punch’s toy.
The other was only a wire embodiment of a mother monkey.
To study the bonding abilities at play, the wire mother was directly connected to a milk supply: food.
The Cloth Mother was not.
Would the offspring be governed by the need for food, over the need for comfort?
The results. Most of the monkeys gravitated to the Cloth Mother. They clung to her.
Concerning hunger, these babies would only go to the Wire Mother, long enough, to get fed.
And then, they’d return to the Cloth Mother.
Comfort seemed to win out over the basic hunger drive.
As a mother…
“As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted inJerusalem.”
Isaiah 66:13
Many of us have “Mommy Issues.”
Many of us did not get those nurturing needs met by our parents.
Neglect and abuse can interfere with that.
We focus on “Our Father,” so much so, that we dismiss the real importance of mothering.
And no, there is no such thing as a perfect human mother.
But in “Our Heavenly Father?”
We find the ultimate of all love, comfort, help, and shelter.
“Our Father” is QUITE “Maternal.”
Furthermore, we have Our Messiah.
“The Father and I are One.”
John 10:30
He’s the maternal bridge TO the Father…
“…No one comes to The Father, except by Me.”
John 14:6
And He beckons us to come.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Therefore, approach your Father now.
Let’s pray.
ABBA FATHER-
I come to You, in The Name of Your Son, My Savior, Yahshua.
You know how much I need You.
Your Love, Your Comfort, Your Help.
I confess that I struggle with issues, stemming from deep wounds, abuse, and neglect.
I am wounded by not being nurtured properly.
Heal me.
Forgive me for my sins, especially any concerning the bitterness and the pain I have about how I was mistreated.
Intervene now.
Take control of my life, help me to Heal.
You and My Savior are “One.”
Help me to love, to know, and to understand fully what that connection with You looks like.
Guide me closer to You.
Love Me, as the most Loving Mother would.
Thank You.
I receive it all, with gratitude.
In The Name of Your Son, Yahshua,
AMEN.
Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse
Limbo? (Cancerventures)
Limbo? (Cancerventures)
“My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.”
Psalm 31:15
With a cancer diagnosis, there is uncertainty.
Limbo.
The thought of recurrence.
How many of you are in that space right now?
Are you wondering “if it is back?”
The Most High is in control. He knows all about your days, how many of them you will have.
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
Psalm 139:16
He decides the number of them. A prognosis or a diagnosis is not beyond His Power!
Your times ARE in His Hands!
Amazon.com: Cancerventures: Tales of a Diagnosed Woman eBook : Cruse, Sheryle: Kindle Store
Good Food Or Bad Food (Thin Enough)
Good Food Or Bad Food? (Thin Enough)
“Is not life more important than food?”
Matthew 6:25
Do you have a list of “good foods” and “bad foods?”
Do you have “guilty pleasures?”
What is your “go-to comfort food?”
Most of us, eating disorder sufferer, or not, struggle with food, with what we choose to eat. We struggle because of harmful and faulty feelings and definitions about food.
“This is good.”
“This is bad.”
We judge it, as we judge our own bodies for consuming it.
We are called to consider a “Holy Moderation.”
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything"—but not everything is constructive.”
1 Corinthians 10:23
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything"—but I will not be mastered by anything.”
1Corinthians 6:12
Turn to Him, today, to help you navigate your food issues. He will help you.
www.whatishisname.com/name-the-issue/good-meal-or-bad-meal
Pecking at A Toy Piano
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Here’s a little ditty about patience.
You know, the thing they say is a virtue.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2
I wanted to pipe in a bit about patience.
I am not a fast or a skilled typist.
I hunt and peck.
Think a chicken pecking at a toy piano.
I may have gotten better at my typing skills, over the years, but, on any given day, you can still find my looking at the keyboard, with my index finger circling above it, saying something to myself, like, “Where’s that ‘R?’ Oh, there it is.”
I have had to be extremely patient with myself, as I hunt and peck at letters, trying to write the things I write.
But it’s not just me that needs to be patient. Nope.
There is this thing called “other people.”
Yeah, I hear the groans. I groan the groans.
In fact, I “groaned a groan,” just this morning.
I was responding to a friend’s email exchange, as we were communicating back and forth in real time.
There I am.
“Peck, peck, peck.”
In mid-peck, my friend emails me, impatient, thinking that I am blowing them off, because I did not respond “quick enough.”
It was probably five minutes, since I last responded, while I was actively composing my words.
And so, yeah, I responded, mid- their- impatience, with the chicken concept, the toy piano, and even this image I’m including now.
Haven’t heard back.
It was not all-out rage.
But the impatience was… testy?
“People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.”
Proverbs 14:29
I’m guilty of it too. Especially with texting. Instant gratification of the most powerful of steroids!
No one, it seems, can wait more than five seconds for a comprehensive response.
Well, there IS Someone.
”Elohim is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
“Think of all that HE must put up with!
Yeah.
“…‘At the right time, I, Elohim, will make it happen.’”
Isaiah 60:22
We may get frustrated, only seeing poultry pecking away that “the old ivories.”
But there is more going on.
And yeah, it requires patience.
Get used to, then, the“Peck, peck, peck.”
Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse
Buying Milk at the Hardware Store
“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”
Matthew 7:16
Who do we trust?
And why should we trust them?
Have you heard this phrase before?
“Don’t go looking to buy milk at the hardware store.”
Trust.
It’s a big, flammable issue for most of us, especially if we have come from abuse.
We have gotten burned and damaged, all from trusting the wrong person on important matters.
Sensitive, personal information.
How many times was it weaponized and used against us?
So, yeah, trust is a big issue.
And here is a great place to remind everyone that people lie.
Fabulous. Great pep talk! Thanks!
But there’s a reason why one of the Commandments is about telling fibs:
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16
So, why are we shocked and dismayed when, not if, we bump into someone who turns out to be a liar?
Part of it is because we spiritually went looking to buy milk in a hardware store.
We went looking for the perfect, trustworthy person, who will never let us down.
And, in doing so, we set ourselves up for a great big fall.
Do not trust a companion.
“Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom.
Micah 7:5
We trusted that a person would never let us down
A tall, unrealistic order.
For all of us fall short of the Glory (Romans 3:23).
Most of us don’t see things accurately. We see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12).
It’s important to do a self-check.
Who are we counting on?
Why are we counting on them?
What happens when, not if, they let us down?
Where is The Most High in all of this?
Render unto Caesar’s…
“They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then He said to them, ‘Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.’”
Matthew 22:21
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’ And they were amazed at him.”
Mark 12:17
These scriptures are not just about paying the correct tax to the correct government or Kingdom.
It’s about subscribing what rightfully belongs where.
And that includes to whom and to where we go for love, comfort, validation, attention, assurance…
The list goes on.
Who/What is Our substitute for an occupancy that only The Most High can hold?
We all place someone or something else there, in His place, at different moments of our lives.
And, in doing so, we are subject to the failings, the pain, and the lies that come with believing “aperson, place, or thing” will meet those Holy needs.
You and I know, on some level, looking elsewhere won’t work.
“For I am Elohim, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
Malachi 3:6
We went to the hardware store, looking for milk.
It just doesn’t happen.
We are still thirsty, and even more frustrated.
“Let The Most High be true, and every man be a liar.”
But awareness gets us to the first step in the right direction.
We need to turn from our pursuits to Him.
“Certainly not! Indeed, let The Most High be true but every man a liar...”
Romans 3:4
People and things will let us down. We believe in the lie that they won’t.
But only The Most High is unfailing.
Nothing and no one else is.
“The Most High is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Numbers 23:19
Let’s pray.
ABBA-
We come to You, in The Name of Your Son, Our Savior, Yahshua.
You know that we are searching.
We search for love, attention, security, fulfillment, peace, and happiness.
And You know that we too often go searching for it apart from you.
In other people and in other things.
And none of it works.
Forgive us for doing this, for not turning to You.
Forgive all our sins.
We are stumbling in our weaknesses, and we need Your Help.
Help us to seek and to know You.
Thank You.
We receive it all, in The Name of Yahshua.
AMEN.
Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse
Seeing Through a Glass Darkly (IF You Know?)
Seeing Through a Glass Darkly (IF You Know?)
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
What do we see? What do we know?
Do we ask Him about Who He is?
What Does He Say?
Do we ask Him about who we are to Him?
Do we ask?
He wants us to ask Him.
He wants us to talk to Him.
If You Know?: Cruse, Sheryle: 9798272042019: Amazon.com: Books
“…What is His Name and what is His Son’s Name, if you know?”
Proverbs 30:4
A Two-pher? (IF You Know?)
A Two-pher? (IF You Know?)
“…What is His Name and what is His Son’s Name, if you know?”
Proverbs 30:4
“I and The Father are One.”
John 10:30
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in The Most High, believe also in Me.”
John 14:1
Two For One. It’s a faith thing.
Who do you focus on with your faith?
You have a two-pher when it’s comes to Your Shepherd.
Father… and Peer.
After all, He took on human form, didn’t He?
He and His Father, Our Father, are ONE.
Take that to heart and to your faith today!
“Elohim is my Shepherd..”
Psalm 23:1
If You Know?: Cruse, Sheryle: 9798272042019: Amazon.com: Books
www.whatishisname.com/name-the-issue/two-for-one
Possess Your Vessel
Possess Your Vessel
“…each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.”
1 Thessalonians 4:4
We are called to be good stewards of our bodies and lives. It’s an ongoing challenge. Sel-care, even something as small as health check ups, is part of that maintenance. It is honorable. It gives Glory To The Most High! Take care of yourself!
You and I are bought with a Price!
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify The Most High in your body and in your spirit, which are The Most High’s.”
1 Corinthians 6:20
Horse Blinders
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
What do falcons and horses have in common?
Well, I came up with something.
Years ago, when I was undergoing a course of radiation for my breast cancer diagnosis, I tried a different tactic to soothe my raging anxiety.
I wore these ginormous “Jackie O”- style sunglasses into one radiation zapping appointment.
The looks I got. Oh yes, the looks.
I wore these glasses, in a vain attempt to do what falconers do when they place those falcon helmets on the birds.
It’s to cut down the fear. The distraction. The freak-out.
The helmets are not just cute. They have a purpose.
So, I tried to apply that same strategy with my “Jackie O’s.”
It did not work.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
1 John 4:18
As much as I am challenged by being a perfectionist, no, I still struggling with being made “perfect in love.”
In His Love.
Cop to it. Yes, I am.
Now, let’s talk about horses… and horse blinders.
No, I am not one of the “horsey set.” I love horses; they are exquisite animals. Like a lot of little girls out there, I went through my “wanting a pony or a horse” phase.
I don’t know much about them, other than yes, they often wear horse blinders.
And, I suppose, it’s similar to that of falcons.
The horse blinders, like the falcon helmet, guard against freak out’s.
It is about keeping the creature as calm, focused, and fear-free as possible.
Focus… and “Freedom From Fear…”
Again…
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
1 John 4:18
Spiritual Helmets and blinders?
Is that what is going on?
After all, as part of the “Armor of The Most High,” we are instructed to put on “The HELMET of Salvation” (Ephesians 6:17).
Protecting us from fearful attacks? Keeping us focused?
Spiritual Horse blinders? What are they supposed to do?
Keep us from having this frightened look in our eyes?
Yeah, that’s part of it.
But it also has to do with Love.
I know. Hang in there with me.
“…‘You shall love the LORD your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:37-40
Love with all of your heart. When we do that, we see better.
I know that sounds simplistic. Maybe trite.
Focus, however, is powerful. It protects. It shields. It keeps us.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3
I can give you a real-time, “now” example, even as I’m typing these words.
Regardless of how strong, anointed, skilled, or enlightened this musing may be that I am crafting right now…
It IS keeping me in perfect peace.
My mind is focused on Him.
I… trust Him fully?
Well, that last one may be pushing it somewhat. After all, I am challenged with fear.
BUT, in the present moment, I am about this experience.
And, yes, things feel quieter. More peaceful. Less terrifying.
Maybe some of that is because I’m also talking to you. And, by faith, I believe I am talking to you.
Nevertheless, we are all challenged by sight issues.
What we see, what we think we see, what looks terrifying, and a threat to us, on any level.
We do see through a glass quite darkly…
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
In the meantime, He loves us.
Love keeps us focused, especially when we focus on Him.
Focus helps our eyes.
Put on The Helmet. Put on The Blinders.
Not so that you cannot see, but rather, so that you can see and focus, love and be loved BY Him.
Let’s pray.
ABBA-
We come to You, in The Name of Your Son, Our Savior, Yahshua.
You know how much we fear.
You know how we have difficulty seeing what is going on in our lives.
You know how we are blinded, in one way or another.
We need so much help to stay focused on You.
You love us, and there is no fear attached to that love.
Help us to fully live and embody what that means for us.
Forgive us for not turning to You; forgive us for not making You our focus.
Forgive our sins.
Help us to stay, in perfect peace, with our minds focused on You.
Thank You.
We receive it all, with gratitude, in The Name of Yahshua.
AMEN.
Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse
The Horn of My Salvation
The Horn of My Salvation
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:2
Whenever we feel weak, powerless, and helpless, He is Our Strength, Our Salvation, and Our Rescue.
Turn to Him now, with all of you, your issues, and your weaknesses.
Intervention (Thin Enough)
Intervention? (Thin Enough)
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
Matthew 18:15-17
Intervention can be tricky, especially concerning those struggling with disordered eating and addiction. These individuals are often terrified, in denial, and not wanting to face things.
Still, it is vital to approach them, in these confrontations, because you are confronting them, with THIS SCRIPTURE ALSO in mind…
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even (Yahshua HA-Mashiach) Christ.”
Ephesians 4:15
Yes, intervene, but at the center of the intervention, let The Most High be The Author of the healing, deliverance, and the help! Nothing lasting can be achieved without Him!
Overserved?
“Overserved.”
When most of us hear this word, we tend to think of someone, at a bar, too drunk on the alcoholic drinks of his or her choice. We think of the bartender, refusing to give them more, because that bartender knows when to not “overserve someone.”
If we could just get some wisdom about this within the faith community.
But how many of us have operated from this scripture?
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 10:8
Yes, there is The Truth, especially concerning Our Savior.
He died; He paid a price we could not pay.
He freely gave… of His Life, His Love, His Body, His Purpose.
And yes, He is The Example.
But is there a case to be made for us mere mortals? A case of “within reason?”
Scripture also declares…
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
Matthew 5:37
I know. I sound like sour grapes.
Maybe you even think I sound overwhelmingly bitter.
I have arrived at a place of investigation, meaning, investigating what is really going on here.
And I have personal experience to warrant the investigation.
It is possible that it touches on… exploitation.
Especially, under the heading of “volunteers.”
“a person who works for an organization without being paid.”
Most people of faith are familiar with all the volunteers within a church system. The bigger the church/ministry, the more volunteers are needed.
Greeters, ushers, people doing administrative work, people who work in the kitchen, in the parking lots, and on worship teams. These are just a few examples of “volunteers.”
“Freely giving” of themselves, their time, their skill sets, their lives.
It sounds beautiful, loving, and harmonious, doesn’t it?
In theory, yes, it is- it can be.
And it can also be abused as well.
And who is often abused within those crosshairs?
Human beings: they are finite.
“For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
Psalm 103:14
Hence, again, the necessity for Matthew 5:37?
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
That Scripture, however, can often be overlooked, discouraged, and not heeded, all in the name of “volunteering.”
“Freely.”
“Freely given.”
“Freebies.”
Everyone likes free stuff.
We enjoy having been given something for nothing.
It is also a sobering reminder that we so often take for granted what Our Savior did for us. Dying for our sins.
We, however, fall so, so short of The Glory (Romans 3:23).
We are still quite finite. We have needs and limitations, based on that finite reality.
“Worthy of Hire?”
“The workman is worth his hire.”
1 Timothy 5:18
“A good day’s wage for a good day’s pay?”
Isn’t that how it goes?
We work jobs; we get paychecks.
With “volunteering,” however, it can be a bit murkier.
We work, “out of the goodness of our hearts,” not for a paycheck.
And here is where personal experience comes into play.
First, a little bit about my volunteering adventures.
Years ago, I was heavily volunteering for a church, racking up so many hours that it necessitated me being given my own set of keys to the building. I was given the alarm code. Often, I was the first one in the building, before any pastoral staff arrived.
I was not on staff. I was “a volunteer.”
But, sometimes, quips and jokes were made about how I might as well be on staff, about how I had a “servant’s heart,” and that I had “a good work ethic.” I would sometimes volunteer, for up to twelve hours a day, four to five days a week.
Was I “freely giving?”
Was I “worth my hire?”
Only The Most High can accurately assess that.
But I was a regular part of the machine. And as part of that machine, I bumped into fellow volunteers.
One stands out for me. She was a mother figure to me. I deeply loved her. She passed away a few years ago.
Let’s call her “Miriam.”
Miriam volunteered mostly within the kitchen. She spent hours cooking, prepping, and serving in the lunch line.
She was a staple. And she was heavily relied upon as that staple.
Certain pastors, unaware of what it took to efficiently work and run the kitchen, unfortunately often placed “last minute,” requests/demands (depending upon how you look at it), adding additional stress and pressure to her workload. Her unpaid workload.
I remember the tension on her face as she tried to accommodate requests, manage unpredictable pastors, all while trying to smile and “be a servant.”
It was challenging.
Miriam was “freely giving.” She was.
Miriam was also “overserving.”
I could see the strain. In my own ways, fielding requests, demands, personalities, and emergencies of all kinds, I felt it myself.
“Volunteering,” unfortunately, is not immune from exploitation.
It’s not always a case of being intentional.
It’s more of a case of taking for granted the “freely given” nature of those who are serving, unpaid.
They are often invisible. In fact, their presence may not be fully known or felt until it is theirabsence, and the absence of their work, that is missing.
But yes, harm, often comes to those who “freely give.”
Harm come to those who do “unpaid labor.”
“Oppressed and Crying Out?”
“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
It can be a painful and difficult situation, especially for those who possess the “servant’s heart.”
They have a love of The Most High. They have a devotion to Our Savior (Colossians 3:23).
“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:26-28
They have a sense of stewardship and connection towards people.
They often do not complain. They endure.
Therefore, Deuteronomy 24:14-15 is the validation, the instruction, and the helpful consoling reminder we need.
Never underestimate the power of the oppressed cries.
He hears. He sees. He knows. He has the most accurate assessment of what is going on.
And He pays attention to every heart, and every heart cry.
“…a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, You will not despise.”
Psalm 51:17
What Can Be Done (Servant Coping)?
Scripture has much to say about persecution, hardship, and “doing good.”
“Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them].”
Romans 12:14
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Matthew 5:44
“But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Luke 6:27-28
“We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it.”
1 Corinthians 4:12
It is not restricted to our most terrifying enemies.
It applies to any stressful, perhaps, unjust, and overwhelming situation.
And yes, that can apply to “Volunteering.”
To the experience, known as “Overserved.”
Again, He Knows. He knows.
He sees and hears all.
No cry gets past Him.
And then, there comes a point…
“That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.”
1 Thessalonians 4:4
Sometimes, life dictates a change, a cessation.
For me, some of that involved experiencing a cancer diagnosis. It confronted my need to be more aware of my health, not just my physical health.
Emotional. Mental. Spiritual.
We each have different capacities, especially as life circumstances change.
If anything, even something as noble as service to The Most High, is taking from us, far more than it is replenishing, we need to pay attention to that.
We have mortal bodies. Our mental and emotional states can only take so much.
Our spiritual health is just as, if not more important.
Spiritual depletion affects everything else in our lives.
We must “guard our hearts.”
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Proverbs 4:23
We are called to steward our vessels: our lives.
It is not helpful to anyone if we expire.
We are too valuable to Him.
Consolation and Reward?
“…‘Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded… And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.’”
Jeremiah 31:16
Wherever we are, whatever situation, especially that of volunteering and serving Him, our work is not in vain.
He keeps the most thorough books. He knows and sees all of the behind the scenes, silent, unnoticed, unsung stuff.
He sees the early mornings, the late nights, the long hours, the sleep deprivation, the sacrifices, the conflicts, the stress.
He sees the burdens we carry that we tell no one, not even Him, in prayer, about.
He knows. And He will reward you and I, even if no one else does.
You matter.
You matter more than you realize.
Please be overserved with THAT Truth!
ABBA-
We come to You, in The Mighty Name of Your Son, Yahshua.
You know.
You see.
You hear.
You understand all that we are trying to do right now.
You know that we feel taken for granted, overlooked, stressed, not compensated or rewarded for the time, work, effort, and the heart that we have put into trying to love, serve You, and do Your Will effectively.
We are tired; You know that we are tired.
You respond.
Thank You for that. Show us what that response looks like, even now.
Forgive us for harboring any bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness, especially concerning those around us who appear to be an enemy or an oppressor to our situations.
Your help, Your love, and Your Intervention are what we need right now.
Show up with Who You are in more powerful ways than we are accustomed to seeing.
Thank You, that, by faith, we know that You hear and answer our prayer.
We receive it all, in The Mighty Name of Yahshua.
Amen.
Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse
Traits (IF You Know?)
