Courage Comes

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – (Joshua 1:9, NIV)

Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – (Joshua 1:9, ERV)

Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. – (Joshua 1:9, MSG)

 

As my sister and I navigate these days with our mom, into this vast unknown, there are many barriers and bumps that cause fear and discouragement. On our own, we would be huddled in the corner in the fetal position, rocking back and forth in a puddle of tears; sorrow and fear, anger and devastation overtaking us. Thankfully, we are not on our own. The battle belongs to the Lord, and He has surrounded us with an army of warriors who love fiercely – from our families, friends who are “framily”, to all those near and far who love mom deeply. Even the hospital staff is wonderful, and they are fighting fiercely to deal with the insurance loopholes required to move her to the very best acute care facility available. Mom continues to make progress with her speaking, at least when she is relaxed and speaking with Megan and me, but we are finding that she struggles when there are more than one or two people in the room, particularly those she does not know really well. Words are far more difficult to find when she is put on the spot, and when she feels pressed, she becomes quiet and just shakes her head with a disgusted smile. That smile makes me die inside a little more, each time I see it. My mama bear instincts rise up, and I want to throat punch people who say foolish things that do NOT encourage her, or motivate her to keep pressing forward. There are some enormous decisions to be made, and I am in need of covering as I contact HR to find out what my options are for FML in the coming weeks. What we do know is that mom will be at the Good Samaritan Acute Care Facility in Puyallup. Additionally, through dear friends, we have discovered that a mutual friend is actually on staff there! We see evidence of God’s hands all over this journey, it is just a road we wish we’d never had to walk. God knows, and we know He is with us; we just need to keep our eyes and ears open for the reminders. Humanity is fragile, but God is strong. May we ever depend on Him to be our strength and courage for every step we take.

 

Be strong, take courage,

For our Lord is near;

Despite what we see,

We need never fear.

Into His great hands,

We are firmly held;

The strength of His love,

Cause doubts be dispelled.

Lean into Jesus,

For in Him is found;

All safety and grace,

In strength, to abound.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our strength in weakness, and that You are our courage when we feel afraid. Forgive us for our fear of what we perceive, as we only see in part, what You already know. Lord Jesus, please go before us and prepare the way. Orchestrate the transportation to the new facility for mom – the very best and most comfortable method to safely transport; the timing that You have already set in place; please expedite the insurance paperwork and grant favor so that the current out-of-network status will be overturned, and above all else, continue to bring complete and total healing and restoration to mom. May her heart and mind and attitude be an example to those who do not know You yet, and draw others into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, even in this, for You are good, even when circumstances are not. Amen.

 

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

 

Be still and know that I am God… – Psalm 46:10a

Blot Out Barriers to Love

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. – (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)

In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. – (Philippians 2:3-4, ERV)

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. – (Philippians 2:3-4, NLT)

 

Selfishness and pride are both barriers to love. To love others as we are called to love, we have to take a genuine interest in people and care about their lives. As we set aside self and allow our focus to become “otherly”, pride is dispelled and love flows freely. This is not to say that goals are not good, but rather we ought to look to discover how we are best able to help others succeed in their goals as we work toward that which we too are pursuing. May we worry less about what we can attain or achieve on our own, and instead set our sights on how we might love others well.

 

Lord, help us to keep,

Aware of others;

May our hearts know well,

Sisters and brothers.

Remove within us,

Pride and selfishness;

And teach us to love,

With true tenderness.

Show our hearts the way,

To love and invest;

To put others first,

And support them best.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to love others in the same way that You love us. Forgive us for our selfishness and pride that prevent us from investing in the lives of those around us. Teach us how to place others above ourselves in a way that encourages and values people, without losing our own sense of purpose in the process. Show us how to love as we are loved by You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we set aside the parts of ourselves that withhold or withdraw, and move forward with open hearts and arms, set to support and serve. Amen.

 

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

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. – 1 Corinthians 13:4

 

 

Be Full of Light

If you are full of light, and there is no part of you that is dark, then you will be all bright, as though you have the light of a lamp shining on you. – (Luke 11:36, ERV)

Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you. – (Luke 11:36, NIV)

 

In order for us to be full of light, the light of Christ must dwell within us. When we invite Christ to be the Lord of our lives, His Spirit comes and lives in us. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is light and life, and no shadow may remain. For light and darkness cannot coexist. Light chases away all that is dark. Though our human nature contains much darkness, the Lord is light and in Him, all that is dark within us is dispelled. The more we trust Christ in all things, the more clearly His light radiates through us to all who are around us. May we be so filled with the light of Christ that no darkness remains, and may all who come around us see the light of His love through our hearts that are radiating the reality of hope in Him.

 

May we be so full,

of Your loving light;

that all that is dark,

must flee from our sight.

Far greater are You,

who dwells within us;

for Your light is life,

through Your Son, Jesus.

May all that is dark,

within us dispel;

and Your light remain,

as it shines hope well.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are light and life and hope and help to all who seek Your face. Thank You that in You, there is no darkness. Thank You that when we invite You to be the Lord of our lives, You come and dwell within us, and Your light makes the darkness disappear. Forgive us for the corners that we try to hide, or the shadows we seek to somehow hold. Teach us to trust You more, as Your light is life, and the only hope worth holding. Show us how to go forth and love in the light of Your truth, so that others too, may see the hope that is held in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we allow Your light to chase away every darkness within us, and trust You to shine through us as we seek to honor You in all that we say and do. Amen.

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

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23

Planned With Purpose

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” – (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.” – (Jeremiah 29:11, ERV)

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” – (Jeremiah 29:11, MSG)

 

When we are in the midst of a season of uncertainty, these words are part of God’s promise that we can cling to. Each of us were created with purpose, and He has plans that include a hope and a future for all who call on His Name. He will never leave us nor forsake us, even in the spaces that seem lost and alone. We can rest assured that God is near, and that He is moving on our behalf, even when it feels as if there is no way forward from where we are standing. The Lord knows our present position and knows where we will end up. The two are not the same. I am so grateful that despite what we see, our hope and future in Christ, is far better than wherever we are dwelling in the here and now. He leads us to places of rest when we are weary, and He equips us to do immeasurably more than we could ever hope or imagine when we are willing to walk by faith, rather than simply by sight. Let our hearts hold fast to the hope that we hold in He who has our future in His hands. His plans are good. He is present and has planted hopes and dreams in our hearts for a purpose.

 

For the Lord, He knows,

the plans that are held;

by the Lord Himself,

from whom fear‘s dispelled.

In Him, there’s no harm,

but rather a plan;

to grant us all hope,

for our whole lifespan.

His plan’s to prosper,

to grant us His good;

to lead and guide us,

where hope’s understood.

May we choose the Lord,

in each circumstance;

for He is our strength,

who loved in advance.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have known the plans for our lives since before we were created. Thank You that Your plan for us is good, and it includes hope and a future. Thank You that no matter what we see in the here and now, You are present and You are at work on our behalf. Forgive us for our fears and lack of faith. Teach us to trust You more, so that no matter what comes our way, we would cling to You and Your promises, trusting that regardless of what we see, our hope is held in You. Show us how to love others in such a way, that they might discover the value they have, and that they were hand-crafted with a plan and a purpose. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in Your plans, despite what we see in the here and now. Amen.

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

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. – 1 Peter 2:19