Release the Offense

“Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” – (Luke 17:4, NIV)

“Even if they do something wrong to you seven times in one day, but they say they are sorry each time, you should forgive them.” – (Luke 17:4, ERV)

“No matter how many times in one day your brother sins against you and says, ‘I’m sorry; I am changing; forgive me,’ you need to forgive him each and every time.” – (Luke 17:4, TPT)

Jesus set the standard as to how we are meant to interact with our sisters and brothers around us. We are called to forgive every time that someone recognizes their wrongs and apologizes. The reality is that we all fall short and need forgiveness and grace. For me, I know that I have far more grace for my children and spouse than I do for folks out and about. When one of my kids forgets to do what has been asked of them, and then apologizes, it becomes as if it has never happened; yet if someone cuts me off on the road and then waves an apology, it takes a moment to slow down and actually forgive, instead of being annoyed. Our intentional decision to forgive is not meant to be submission to abuse, rather it is for us to release the offense and move on so that we do not carry the weight of unforgiveness.There are enough burdens among us; grudges are far too weighty to hold. May we seek the Lord to grant us the grace to forgive, in the same way that He continually forgives us.

Count not offenses,

But rather, give grace;

Love one another,

Throughout each new day.

When there’s a sorry,

Let go, choose release;

Hold not the offense,

May our grace increase.

Lord, help us to love,

As You choose love us;

Let our response be,

Just like Yours, Jesus.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son to show us how to live and love and forgive. Forgive us for not being quick to forgive when we ought to. Show us how to give the very same grace and forgiveness that we have been given by You. Lead us in love for all those around us so that each may know the overwhelming, never ending, power of Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us in love and forgiveness for all. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:13

Bearing Our Burdens

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. – (Psalm 68:19, NIV) 

Praise the Lord! Every day he helps us with the loads we must carry. He is the God who saves us. – (Psalm 68:19, ERV) 

Blessed be the Lord who carries our heavy loads every day, the True God who is our salvation. – (Psalm 68:19, VOICE) 

God is faithful, always. In the throes of the heaviness, He is present. When we are feeling stuck, He is ready and able to lead us through so that we may believe in the midst of our burdens.  Salvation is understood as we find hope in the heavy, and recognize the presence of God. I find myself in a solid space of reminiscing about God’s faithfulness, and how He bears our burdens. A little over a year ago, my mom suffered a massive stroke. We were blindsided by this, as she had always been strong and healthy and independent. As we have walked through the recovery process with mom, each day, God has handled our burdens and helped us carry the weight of worry and fear.  The verse found in Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” has been a sort of battle cry and comfort as we have navigated all of the new that comes with this sort of challenge. Being a visual person, I have wanted to artistically memorialize the anchor that God has been, in a way that was a tangible reminder of His faithfulness to steady us, always. Yesterday, the desire that I had held finally came to fruition. On my right foot, which is the side of mom’s body impacted by the stroke, I had an anchor with flowers from mom’s yard, along with her usual signature on cards, memorialized in ink. For me, every step I take, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness to continue to bring healing, help and wholeness to my mom. It also reminds me to pray with gratitude for the life that He spared, and is continuing to restore. She went from being wheelchair bound a year ago, to walking by herself with a cane today. It has taken tremendous determination and hard work, but mom has never shied away from either, and depends on God to be her strength. May we ever remember Who is near and present to help us with the loads we carry, and loves us through every step that we take. 

Hope is the anchor, 

A gift from the Lord; 

His grace and His love, 

As asked, He’ll afford. 

He’ll carry the weight, 

Of burdens we bear; 

Bring loving comfort, 

Tangible, His care. 

Regardless of weight, 

His grace is enough; 

To lead and guide us,  

Through all sorts of stuff. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You help us with the burdens we bear, and when they grow too heavy, You carry us. Thank You that You are the faithful anchor of our soul – strong and secure. Forgive us for the times that we attempt to carry things alone, rather than seeking You for help. Teach us to trust You more, as You are forever faithful to help, as You love us through every storm that comes our way. Show us how to love others well. Lead us to love in a way that brings comfort, encouragement, and strength, so that all might know that they are not alone when storms rage around them. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for being our ever-present help, and the anchor that secures our heart in the midst of storms. Amen. 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. – Ephesians 4:2

Choose Reach Out

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” – (Isaiah 58:6-8, NIV)

“I will tell you the kind of day I want – a day to set people free. I want a day that you take the burdens off others. I want a day when you set troubled people free and you take the burdens from their shoulders. I want you to share your food with the hungry. I want you to find the poor who don’t have homes and bring them into your own homes. When you see people who have no clothes, give them your clothes! Don’t hide from your relatives when they need help. If you do these things, your light will begin to shine like the light of dawn. Then your wounds will heal. Your “Goodness” will walk in front of you, and the Glory of the Lord will come following behind you.” – (Isaiah 58:6-8, ERV)

 

The foundation of what God asks of us has always been the same – Love God and love people. If we are fasting, let it be for the purpose of actively pursuing God and loving people. If we are praying, may it be out of faith in our Father and our desire to do good for others. As we live, may our lives clearly demonstrate our love for God and for ALL whom He has created. There are no qualifiers on loving people; He calls us to love all people tangibly and practically. If they are burdened; help carry the weight and set them free. If people are hungry; feed them. If people are in need of the basic requirements for existence; start with clothing and shelter. Furthermore, we are meant to be aware of and care for the needs of our family as well. Incredibly, as we do these things, we begin to reflect the heart of God to those around us. Our obedience leads to blessings in our own lives too. He heals and surrounds each soul that chooses to surrender and serve others as He asks. May we look to the Lord for wisdom and strength, so that we go forth and tangibly love people as an extension of our love for Him.

 

May our focus be,

Typography poster lettering love and ethnic patterns. Vector illustration hand drawn.

Intent on the Lord;

On what He’s asking,

As strength He affords.

The priority,

In all that we do;

Love God and people,

It’s what we’re called to.

Some practical ways,

His love can be shown;

Help meet other’s needs,

Leads to God’s heart known.

As we choose reach out,

God’s present within;

Healing and helping,

Makes hope rise again.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that a reason for fasting and praying is ultimately to love God and love people better. Thank You that You are faithful to meet us as we come and seek You. Thank You that Your word tells us practically how to love people well, and in turn, honor and love You. Forgive us for the times that we have neglected to love people well. Teach us to have eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to understand what You would have us do practically in every circumstance. Thank You that You are far greater than our time, talent or resources, and that You take what we offer and multiply what we bring. Show us how to love the people around us tangibly, for You know every need in existence. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to be intentional as we love You and love the people around us, every seeking You for ways to love practically and tangibly to meet needs. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Human, the Lord has told you what goodness is. This is what He wants from you: Be fair to other people. Love kindness and loyalty, and humbly obey your God. – Micah 6:8

Defense Against Discouragement

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. – (Psalm 95:2, NIV)

Come and worship Him with songs of thanks. Let us sing happy songs of praise to Him. – (Psalm 95:2, ERV)

Come face-to-face with God, and give thanks; with loud and joyful voices, praise Him in songs. – (Psalm 95:2, VOICE)

 

The best defense against discouragement and frustration, is praise and thanksgiving. Yesterday was a bit of a battle for me. Between fending off a doozy of a headache and a report of less-than-stellar student behavior during my absence on Monday, it was a struggle to operate from a space of gratitude and joy. Thankfully, I have incredible colleagues, and the blessing of positive and encouraging interactions with them throughout my day, made all of the difference in how my heart was held. I am certain that taking the opportunity to give mom a quick call during my planning period helped too. By the time I arrived at high school gymnastics practice to warm, friendly greetings by the girls and fellow coaches, joy and gratitude were back in their proper place, and practice flew by. Days such as these, I am so grateful for the people that He has placed in my life to remind me of what truly matters. May we ever come before the Lord with thanksgiving and praise Him with song; for He is good and His love endures forever.

As I mentioned, I was blessed to get a hold of Mom during my planning period in the morning yesterday. Speaking to her before her first out-patient speech appointment was good, as I know she was a bit nervous for the new, yet excited to continue to move forward on this journey of healing. Thankfully, I had the pleasure of checking back in with Mom last evening to hear how her first appointment had gone. Although it was the usual assessment to establish a starting point, she really liked the speech therapist, and was encouraged by the work he initiated and the hope that lies ahead. Additionally, now that she has been to an out-patient appointment, the other new upcoming therapy appointments are less daunting. For all of these things, we give thanks.

 

When discouragement,

Or frustration come;

Combat them with praise,

To the Holy One.

Despite what we see,

There’s always reason;

To give thanks to God,

In each new season.

For life and for breath,

For hope, strength and peace;

So many blessings,

By grace, He’s released.

Let us rise and praise,

Give thanks where it’s due;

All unto the Lord,

Whose love’s ever true.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You we have reason to give thanks and sing songs of praise unto You, in every season. Thank You that even in a time that feels heavy, You are present and ready to carry the weight. Thank You that as we lift our burdens unto You and give praise where praise is due, we are able to navigate the way true. Forgive us for losing sight of gratitude in the grip of the grind. Teach us to keep our eyes on You, so that our perspective is eternal rather than on the temporary. Show us how to love those around us in the midst of their heaviness, so that they too may find reason to give thanks. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You praise and thanks for all of our days, for You are always good. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; all the upright in heart will glory in Him! – Psalm 64:10

Give Worry Away

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. – (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) 

Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you. – (1 Peter 5:7, TLB) 

Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries. – (1 Peter 5:7, VOICE) 

 

This is far more easily spoken than actually carried out. Often, we don’t even recognize the burdens that we are bearing until they begin to take a toll on us, physically. Tension headaches, illness and exhaustion can all be symptomatic of unnecessary burden bearing. Yes, we have responsibilities and obligations as adult members of society, however, we are not called to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. First and foremost, we ought to present our cares and concerns to Christ. He cares and has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. The Lord’s strength surpasses our understanding, and He is more than able to carry the burdens too weighty for us to bear. May we ever seek the Lord and lay our worries and cares in His capable hands, as He cares for us all. 

 

May lofty burdens,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

Be given away; 

To He who’s able, 

To carry the weight. 

Our God is willing, 

With arms open wide; 

To receive our cares, 

As we choose abide. 

So, cast each worry, 

All burdens on Him; 

And watch in wonder, 

As His grace pours in. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You invite us to give you our burdens and worries. Thank You that You are far better equipped to bear the weight than we are. Forgive us for attempting to power through on our own when life gets too heavy. Teach us to trust and rely on You. Show us how to love those around us in a way that helps lighten loads, and reminds others that they need not bear burdens alone. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we bring our burdens before You and trust Your strength, grace and love to carry that which we are not meant to bear. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34