He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. – (Psalm 18:16, NIV)
He reached down from above and grabbed me. He pulled me from the deep water. – (Psalm 18:16, ERV)
He then reached down from heaven, all the way from the sky to the sea. He reached down into my darkness to rescue me! He took me out of my calamity and chaos and drew me to Himself, taking me from the depths of my despair! – (Psalm 18:16, TPT)
I love the imagery found in this particular verse; it is so powerful! Being an incredibly visual creature, I can picture a giant, strong, yet gentle hand, reaching down from heaven, to pull me out of the raging sea in the midst of a fierce storm. Though my current status is not tumultuous nor terribly storm-like, I know for many, it is. I have been in several raging storms throughout my life thus far, and each time, God has been faithful to be present and bring His peace, drawing me unto Himself to calm the storm within me. My circumstances seldom changed right away, but the depth of despair, desperation and isolation, did. As God takes our hand, He leads us in His loving kindness to places of peace. Sometimes, He has to guide us from deep waters to a safe harbor, yet other times He simply speaks to the storm within us, and says, “Be still.” Our current season feels long, as one day runs into the next, and into the next. Staying in one place for a long period of time can create a sort of storm within us. The greatest combatant to getting stuck in the deep end is to remember what keeps us afloat. Gratitude, faith, and hope are terrific navigation tools when storms come our way. May we look to the Lord to take our hand and pull us from the places that do not keep our head and heart above water, and trust in Him to be our help and hope as we navigate each new day that we are blessed with on this journey.
In troubled waters, 
The deep raging seas;
The Lord reaches down,
His love rescues me.
His strong, gentle hand,
Extends out to mine;
A powerful peace,
No words can define.
Though storms keep raging,
Knowing He is near;
Quiets storms within,
Removing the fear.
No matter how great,
The storm will not last;
But for a season,
Then this too, shall pass.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gentle, yet powerful love that You have for all. Thank You that as we call on You from the midst of raging storms, You reach out Your strong hand to pull us out to a place of peace. Thank You that You still the storm within us, even if the circumstances around us continue. Thank You that all things right now are temporary, and will come to a close. Forgive us for thinking that the hardest seasons will never end, or that we are in them on our own. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would be ever aware of Your presence and Your peace; for You never leave us nor forsake us. Show us how to love those around us in ways that offer peace, love and hope, reminding them that better days will come again. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust Your strong hands to keep us safe through the storms, and keep hope in knowing that what is yet to come is far better than what is right now. Amen.
© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1
Revelations In Writing 
Shannon, I need you to know that after my stroke and months of rehab your blog is only one of two that I kept up with. I have always marveled at your ability to write, compose poetry and some of the most beautiful prayers. I have followed you longer than any other blog I can think of. Would you share an update on your two boys and teaching? Our schools in this area are considering ending the school year now because of the virus. Again thank you for being such an inspiration all these years. Steve Sawyer, For His Glory
On Wed, Apr 1, 2020, 9:11 AM Revelations In Writing wrote:
> Revelations in Writing posted: “He reached down from on high and took hold > of me; He drew me out of deep waters. – (Psalm 18:16, NIV) He reached down > from above and grabbed me. He pulled me from the deep water. – (Psalm > 18:16, ERV) He then reached down from heaven, all the way from the ” >
Thank you so much, Steve. I had no idea you had a stroke! How are you doing now? What a challenge to navigate… As for an update on my boys and teaching, yes, I imagine our “Spring Break” next week will afford me some extra time to reflect on all of this… There have been no official announcements here about the end of the school year, but teachers are having to move into an accelerated learning course with online teaching. There is a huge learning curve for all, and so much grief over lost time in the classroom for all. It is especially rough for my own two seniors. I am thankful that they are so resilient.
Even so, God is good and we are grateful.
Blessings to you and your bride as you continue on your journey to a full recovery. – Shannon