Trust Him to Bless

Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You. – (Psalm 84:12, NIV)

Lord All-Powerful, great blessings belong to those who trust in You! – (Psalm 84:12, ERV)

O Lord of the armies of heaven, blessed are those who trust in You. – (Psalm 84:12, TLB)

 

As the end date of this season in Wenatchee draws ever nearer still, trust is a very necessary thing. Though my heart has ached and grieved being away from my husband and children, there is also a grieving in leaving my mom. After spending nearly three and a half months with her, twenty-four hours a day, it will be a strange sort of separation to be away from one another. It is good, as I know mom with be in great hands with my sister and family, and equally good for me to be back with my own family. It is a space of each of us desperately needing to rely on the Lord and trust in Him to provide and order our days according to His purposes where we are meant to be. I trust that God has not brought us this far, to only bring us this far. Our prayer is for mom’s complete and total healing, and we are trusting that a full recovery will come to fruition as she continues the hard work in this next leg of her journey. I look forward to watching and hearing about the new blessings that unfold, as mom continues to patiently persevere.

Yesterday, was a bit of a rough start, as we had not slept well and had to take mom’s car to the dealership for an oil change and tire rotation by 8:30 am. We managed, and made it home with time to relax and recharge, prior to a lovely visit with a fantastic pair of mom’s neighbors. Their company was wonderful, and gave mom an encouraging boost. We were able to take it easy the remainder of the day, accomplishing a few of the necessary items on mom’s checklist to prepare for her move, yet still keep a pace that didn’t push our sleep-deprived brains beyond what they could take. Thankfully, last night was a far better night. Though there were two wake-ups, they were spread out enough that there were some good, solid stretches of sleep that were had by both of us. Coffee and breakfast have been consumed, and mom is relaxing as I sit here and write. Today, we have two separate visits scheduled with friends, so the day will likely pass quickly.

May we ever continue to trust in the Lord, as He blesses and keeps us, every step of our journey.

 

The Lord of heaven,

He sees and He knows;

All that our hearts need,

And in us, He grows.

As we choose to trust,

He grows faith and love;

Grants us strength of heart,

As His own beloved.

Let us ever trust,

The God of all grace;

For He’s ever near,

As we seek His face.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You bless those who trust in You. Thank You that Your blessing comes through Your faithfulness and love forever. Thank You that we never need fear or doubt, for You are always with us. Forgive us for our fears and doubts when obstacles or unknowns lie before us. Teach us to trust in You. Show us how to love those around us in ways that offer hope and strength, grace and goodness. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You, the One from whom all blessings flow. Amen.

 

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

 

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” – Psalm 91:2

Endings and Beginnings

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word. – (Psalm 119:114, NIV)

You are my refuge and my shield; Your word is my source of hope. – (Psalm 119:114, NLT)

You are my hiding place and my shield of protection; I hope in Your word. – (Psalm 119:114, VOICE)

 

Though David often had need for the Lord to be his literal hiding place, there were times too, that he needed his heart to be covered and “hidden” by God. For me, that is more often the space that I find myself in. When the cares of my circumstances become overwhelming or seem far too heavy to bear, it is in that space that I need seek Christ to cover my heart with His, as He is my place of refuge and a shield about me. He renews my hope with the truth of His word and reminds me anew of who He is. Today, I am being granted the gift of time with my boys as they prepare to leave for a ten-day cruise with the Sea Scouts. I had hoped and prayed for a way to get home to help them pack and prepare and send them off, and God has been faithful to provide faithful friends for such a time as this, so that I could do exactly that and know that mom is in great hands and comfortable in my brief absence.

Yesterday was an incredible day to end mom’s therapies in Washington. As she met with Nick, her physical therapist, he had me guide mom through the paces of navigating her front steps with her hemi-walker. Giving her verbal cues and only keeping a hand touching her low back to remind her that I was present if there was a need, she was able to go down the steps, walk some steps in the grass, turn around, and then return up the stairs. It was the very first time since her stroke that mom had set foot on grass, and after Nick left, she could not stop the tears from falling. For her, it was yet another mile-marker that reminded her that hope is tangible and that she is truly making progress. A few hours later, mom had her final session with Susan, her speech therapist. The beautiful thing about speech therapy is that there is much opportunity to visit, as word recall is largely called forth through conversation. Time flew by, and goodbyes were difficult. Lastly, a bit later in the afternoon, was Larissa, mom’s occupational therapist. Larissa went to great lengths to make certain that we had a solid plan in place for ongoing exercises and stretches for mom to be doing daily during the gap time between now and when therapies begin in Oregon. She has been innovative and kind, and has gone above and beyond to help research and facilitate mom’s needs. As she was leaving, she refused to call it goodbye, but rather a “see you later.” Each of mom’s therapists parted ways with mom with hugs and words of well-wishes, encouraging her and letting her know how much they had loved working with her and how much they would miss her. Mom has a way of winning folks over quickly, and once she has, she is not forgotten. My hope and prayer now, is that she will find the same to be true of her new therapists in Oregon, and that she will discover a new community with which to connect during her season in that space. God has always been her refuge, and I trust that He will continue to provide her hope and tangible evidence of His faithfulness.

 

My refuge and shield,

Where all hope is found;

The God of all grace,

Your word’s always sound.

You grant me safety,

And You cover me;

My heart is hidden,

In You, lovingly.

Hidden from the things,

That make me choose fear;

Blind to Your presence,

As You’re ever near.

Help us ever seek,

The light of Your grace;

For goodness is found,

Following Your ways.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our safety and our refuge, and that we can ever find hope in Your word. Thank You that You are present to help and protect and provide. Forgive us for our fearfulness in the unsteady or the unknown. Teach us to trust You more. Show us how to love those around us in a way that offers peace and grace and safety. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust and hope in You forever. Amen.

 

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

 

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” – Psalm 91:2

His Strength and Peace

The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. – (Psalm 29:11, NIV)

May the Lord make His people strong. May the Lord bless His people with peace. – (Psalm 29:11, ERV)

God makes His people strong. God gives His peoples peace. – (Psalm 29:11, MSG)

 

There is a strange transition in my sister’s and my world, that began late yesterday morning, and will conclude as soon as I arrive back in Wenatchee, early this afternoon. For the first time since mom’s stroke, there is a gap in time, where neither of us is there. Both of us really struggled with the thought in the beginning, as we ordered and aligned our calendars to attempt to best balance time at home and to make certain one of us was always with mom. There was this small gap that we could not seem to reconcile, yet when speaking with both mom and her best friend, we were reassured that all would be well and the time would be covered. After having been with mom every single day since the stroke, I thought I would really struggle to head home for a few days. I was a bit torn to go, however, I knew she was in great hands with my sister, which allowed me to go in peace, and be present with my family, students and friends at home. There were still check-ins with my mom and sister, yet my purpose and focus has been on those who were present with me at home. God gave me the strength to do what I needed to do here, so that I would again feel prepared and eager, to return to Wenatchee this morning. Long before my alarm was to sound, I was wide awake. My entire being knows and is prepared to return to mom, excited to see her.

Yesterday, one of my sister’s and my dearest best friends since childhood, surprised mom and showed up to give mom a manicure. Such a sweet blessing, especially as she was like another sister in our home (and us in hers) throughout our entire growing up years. Mom continues to do the difficult work to prepare to transition home from the acute care facility. Much of her progress in the coming week or so will help us best determine what we need to do to best prepare her home to make the adjustment as smooth as possible. Please join us in continuing to pray for complete healing, and for wisdom to know each next step as it comes. God is faithful, and has clearly been present to make us strong and grant His peace, as only He can do.

 

Lord, grant us Your strength,

As only You do;

For in You, we’re strong,

Our hope is renewed.

You’re our place of peace,

Wherever we go;

As we look to You,

You help us to grow.

Show us Your way, Lord,

Point out each next step;

All thanks unto You,

In Your grace, we’re kept.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your loving kindness that grants us strength and peace, as only You can provide. Thank You that You supply all that we need in ways we might never anticipate. Forgive us for worry and doubt in spaces where we are uncertain or weary. Teach us to trust You more, as You are stronger than our struggles and You are our peace. Show us how to love those around us in a way that strengthens those who are struggling and brings peace to those in turmoil. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we listen to Your leading and rely on You to be our Source of strength and peace in all things. Amen.

 

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

 

Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. – 1 Chronicles 16:11

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