Joy in Hope

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – (Romans 12:12, NIV)

Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time. – (Romans 12:12, ERV)

Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times. – (Romans 12:12, TPT)

There is always joy when we are aware of hope. Hope anchors our hearts and helps us remember our reasons to give thanks. It is in that posture of praise that we are able to find joy. Additionally, hope grants us patience when troubles come our way. Even when we cannot see a solution, God is working on our behalf. Lastly, we have the privilege of communing with the living God. He hears our every prayer, and shows us His love and His presence each time we seek Him. May we ever invest in seeking the Lord, for He is our source of joy, hope, patience and perseverance. 

May hope be present,

No matter what comes;

Joy’s in the journey,

Not in the outcome.

Our God is faithful,

His strength overcomes;

Our times of trouble,

‘Til each day is done.

For we are all called,

To commune with Him;

Pray in His presence,

Allow His love in.

Let us hold to hope,

That God alone gives;

Be strengthened in Him,

As long as we live.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can always find joy, for You are our reason to have hope. Thank You that You strengthen us in times of trouble, and You meet us as we seek time with You. Forgive us for allowing circumstances to steal our joy. Teach us to trust You more, so that we may find joy in our hope that comes from You. Continue to show us how to seek You and spend time in Your presence. Lead us to love those around us as You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your presence, help, hope and joy that You grant all who seek You. Amen.

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

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. – Psalm 33:20

Come to the Fountain

May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – (Romans 15:13, NIV)

I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in Him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit. – (Romans 15:13, ERV)

Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with His super-abundance until you radiate with hope! – (Romans 15:13, TPT)

God is our fountain of hope. His outpouring is constant and abundant, if only we allow ourselves to draw near. The more we allow His hope to flow over us, the greater our experience of His joy and peace though trusting Him becomes. Even more, as we receive what He offers, the same will overflow from us. To radiate hope is exactly the way that I want to live. This only transpires through trust in Him. The Holy Spirit in us allows hope to flow from us in abundance. May we ever draw near to God, who is our fountain of hope, so that we may extend the same to those around us.

The God of all hope,

A fountain that pours;

Grace overflowing,

Flings wide open doors.

The doors to His peace,

And abundant joy;

For where hope is held,

Goodness is employed.

Let’s soak in the hope,

As He grants us peace;

No matter what comes,

His joy is released.

Joy in the journey,

Hope for the long ride;

Peace in the knowing,

He’ll be by our side.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our fountain of hope that never stops outpouring. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit within us grants us peace and joy, no matter our circumstances. Forgive us for not drawing near to receive all that You offer, which in turn dulls the light within us. Teach us to continually draw near so that we may radiate the hope we have in You. Show us how to love all those around us as You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as Your hope brings the joy and peace that has been absent. Be glorified O God and continually draw us into Your presence so that we may soak in the goodness of Your love that grows eternal hope, abundant joy and perfect peace. Amen.

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

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. – 2 Peter 1:3

Faithful Love That Lasts

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. – (Psalm 136:1, NIV)

Praise the Lord because He is good. His faithful love will last forever. – (Psalm 136:1, ERV)

Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits. – (Psalm 136:1, MSG)

 

I am so thankful that there is time set aside to gather and give thanks together. The opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones is a tremendous blessing, and not one of us takes the privilege for granted. We are especially grateful this year, as we recognize that this season could have gone horribly different. God’s grace has been tangibly evident, as He spared mom’s life and walks us all along this journey of healing together. Though it is a long road, there is much joy in the journey. We laugh often, and appreciate every moment we have together, even more than we ever did before. There is a tender closeness now that runs far deeper than it did even last year at this time, and that is just one of the examples of beauty that God has brought from a difficult and devastating circumstance. Today, and always, we give thanks to God because He is good and His love never quits. May we ever look to the Lord with thanksgiving in our heart, recognizing that He is near, abounding in love.

As for mom specifically, she is very much looking forward to beginning more of her outpatient therapies on Monday. She is hopeful and determined, and it is good to see her gaining confidence in moving independently around the house with her walker. When we arrived late yesterday morning, it was mom who greeted us at the door! It was so good to see that she had been waiting nearby, at the ready to get up and walk to open the door upon our arrival! The family all enjoyed a wonderful meal together, time to visit and lounge, and then at last, our long-awaited tradition of family game night. After several rounds of a family favorite, we decided to mix it up, and Mark taught us all how to play Texas Hold ‘Em. It was an evening of much laughter and friendly competitions, as we have clearly raised a generation of intelligent young men, who seek to strategize and win. 😊 All thanks to God for His goodness that He has granted in the incredible gift of family, and the way that He makes His love tangible through each heart as we spend time together.

 

Give thanks to the Lord,

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Last night’s line up for our family favorite game.

For He’s always good;

Love that shall endure,

Through time has withstood.

His love will not quit,

It ever remains;

Filling and blessing,

As this love sustains.

With hearts overwhelmed,

Such goodness and love;

All thanks be to God,

Our Lord up above.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessing of family and the time to gather together. Thank You for those who are with us, and those who gathered in other places. Be near us all. Forgive us for the times that we forget how very good You are, and how You love us through all things, no matter how they appear. Teach us to embrace every blessing and enjoy each precious gift that we are given in love. Show us how to love those around us in such a way that Your goodness and grace is made tangible. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You all of our thanks and praise for Your faithful love that lasts forever. Amen.

 

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

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

Far More than Satisfied

Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. – (Psalm 90:14, NIV)

Fill us with Your love every morning. Let us be happy and enjoy our lives. – (Psalm 90:14, ERV)

With every sun’s rising, surprise us with Your love, satisfy us with Your kindness. Then we will celebrate every day we are alive. – (Psalm 90:14, VOICE)

 

Being an early riser and one who loves the outdoors, the setting I am in serves me well. Mom’s home is secured on a hill, overlooking the river, surrounded by foothills, with orchards below. The sunrise each morning glows on the hills across from us, and daily, I am reminded of new hope and a fresh start that come with the unfailing love of the Lord. With every sun’s rising, I am surprised with God’s handiwork; as no two sunrises are the same. He varies the cloud formations and color patterns, mixing His palette and providing my eyes and heart with fresh delight daily. In the same way that each new sunrise brings delight, so too does each new day on this journey with mom in her recovery and rehabilitation. The kindness of God grants of reason to celebrate each new day of life that we are given. There is joy in the journey, and new gains each step that we take. Yesterday, mom learned some new exercises in occupational therapy that she can do on her own (which she is thrilled about) and during her speech therapy session, she could do things yesterday that she was unable to do two days earlier! My heart is satisfied with His kindness, even in the moments when I struggle. He reminds me that I am not alone, and that He has us in His hands. Mom is a living miracle, and I have the privilege of watching her miraculous awakening each day.  Additionally, we laugh often, as there are some seriously silly statements that occur when exhaustion hits, and words become difficult to recall. Because I know mom so well, I typically know what she is trying to say, and we just giggle together about the “substitute” word and continue moving forward.

May we recognize Your love with every new rising of the sun, and be satisfied with Your kindness. Help us to celebrate with joy, every day that we are alive.

 

May the break of dawn,0607190510a_hdr6867141396644053477.jpg

The first light of morn;

Remind us of grace,

Hope when we’re forlorn.

With each brand-new day,

The rise of the sun;

Shows God’s faithfulness,

Before we’ve begun.

His kindness endures,

As we make our way;

Sweet satisfaction,

When covered by grace.

There’s no greater joy,

Love held in His hands;

Our lives a great gift,

To walk out His plan.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You bless us and renew us each morning with Your unfailing love, and that You are our reason to be glad for all of our days. Forgive us for allowing circumstances to steal our joy or hide our hope, as both hope and joy are found in You alone. Teach us to turn to You in all things and at all times, so that we never miss a sunrise or a miraculous moment that You intend for us to see, that is meant to remind us of Your incredible, infallible love. Show us how to love those around us in a way that celebrates the gift of each new day, and marvels at each minute miracle that You place before us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing for joy at the wonders of Your love, and marvel at the miraculous ways in which You move. Amen.

 

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

 

In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly. – Psalm 5:3

Joy and Trust

Bring joy to Your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in You. – (Psalm 86:4, NIV)

My Lord, I put my life in Your hands. I am Your servant, so make me happy. – (Psalm 86:4, ERV)

Restore joy to your loving servant once again, for all I am is Yours, O God. – (Psalm 86:4, TPT)

 

What a wild ride the last twenty-four hours have been! The day began in anticipation, knowing that we would be bringing mom home to her house by the day’s end. As with any scenario that has a plan, the plan never works out exactly as one thinks it might. On our way to the acute care facility, my sister and I had to stop at a medical supply store to check on a few things to be delivered to the house, just prior to our scheduled arrival. Due to the close timing of the two, we had decided to drive two cars, just in case. While in the store, we noticed a device that appeared to be a genius invention, took a photo, and brought it back to show mom’s favorite physical therapist. She concurred that it would indeed be a fantastic idea for mom, and proceeded to have the attending physician write a prescription for it, so that insurance could cover the cost. In between this process, mom’s temporary wheelchair was delivered, and it was a “hot mess”. Megan and I looked at it, and something in me rose up (I am guessing the fierce mama bear protector) and I very firmly refused to receive the chair, letting the poor delivery guy know that it simply would not work for mom. This began my somewhat comedic quest to retrieve all of the appropriate supplies to help make certain we had what we needed to take mom safely home. First, I visited the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization of retired men that offers free medical supplies to anyone who needs them. The gentlemen that run the place are some of the kindest and most helpful fellas you will ever meet. Not only did they have the walker I was looking for, but the armrest piece that I was given the prescription for as well. My entire demeanor was transformed as I had such a kind exchange with the gentleman who shares a birthday with mom, but is ten years her senior. Joy along the journey through the kindness of strangers. Next, I went back to the medical supply store to see if I could straighten out the wheelchair situation and bring back something that would work to mom. The sales representative was kind and helpful, and very willing to make things work. It was quite an endeavor to fit the wheelchair in my Jeep, but somehow, it happened. I am fairly certain that when I unloaded the supplies at the acute care place, it looked a bit like the clowns exiting a tiny car act at the circus, as large equipment was being pulled from the small space in my vehicle. No more than twenty minutes after I had been back with mom and Meg, we received the call from the delivery truck driver at mom’s house. They were supposed to call when they were on the way, but had not; so off I went again to let the guy in to set up the garage ramp and receive supplies. By the time I returned to the hospital, Megan was walking to the parking lot to get the car to begin loading up to leave. At long last, we were on our way. Once we finally arrived home, mom was completely exhausted. All she wanted to do, was rest in her own bed. All of the anticipation, the hurry up and wait, the preparation, and transportation, at last had brought her to her own space. We sat at the kitchen table together for dinner, then in the living room to watch a movie before we were all ready for bed. It was a very good end to an extraordinarily long day.

As for the now what, that is the portion of placing our trust in His hands. We are in uncharted territory, and having to navigate a whole different sort of new. Already this morning, we are witnessing the potential challenges to being home. Mom is a strong independent woman, and not used to asking for help. Thankfully we bought monitors and I am a very early riser. Shortly after I had risen to get coffee and sit down to do my devotions and begin writing, I heard mom stirring. I walked back to her room to check on her, and she was sitting up in bed, moved to the edge, as if to hop out of bed on her own. (She is not safe or able to do that yet, so it could have been a very bad scene) As I greeted her, helped her transfer to her chair and make way to the restroom, Megan heard us and came in to help as well. There is joy in the journey and we trust our lives in His hands. He is good, and His love never fails.

 

Joy in the journey,

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Mom relaxing on the couch, watching a movie. ❤

On this path we roam;

Seeking and trusting,

As You lead us home.

Show us the best way,

Each step we’re to take;

Strength each new morning,

Love that won’t forsake.

Glorious, His grace,

His peace is divine;

There’s no greater love,

That we’ll ever find.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can trust in You in every situation and circumstance that comes our way. Thank You that our lives are in Your hands. Thank You that joy is a gift that You deposit deep within our soul, rather than something circumstantial and dependent on what happens in our day-to-day lives. Forgive us for allowing anything to steal our joy or take away our trust in You. Teach us how to trust more, as You alone are worthy of all of our trust. Show us how to love those around us in a way that spreads joy and demonstrates trust. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we walk out this journey in joy and trust. Amen.

 

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

 

Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His dwelling place. – 1 Chronicles 16:27