Keep Singing

O my Strength, to You I sing praises, for You, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. – (Psalm 59:17, NLT)

I will sing praises to You, my source of strength. You, God, are my place of safety. You are the God who loves me! – (Psalm 59:17, ERV)

I will lift my voice to sing Your praise, O my Strength – for You came to my defense. O God, You have shown me Your loving mercy. – (Psalm 59:17, VOICE)

 

As I prepare to head home for a quick visit until Sunday morning, I have much to be grateful for as I go. God is doing a new thing in mom, as He is granting her courage and desire to actually get out of the house and enjoy a change of scenery. For me, this has been a huge answer to prayer, especially with no appointments scheduled over the long holiday weekend. Mom desperately needed something to break up the long hours, and I needed a change of scenery and an escape. Wednesday, she willingly obliged to go into town for a quick coffee run, and consequently, we picked up lunch at a favorite take out place. Yesterday, what began as another quick coffee run, turned into a glorious adventure in scenic driving, as mom directed me on amazing back roads that I had never been. We both were all smiles as we soaked in the sun and the scenery along the river, nestled between the surrounding mountains. For a few hours, life did not seem like we were in this post-stroke limbo space, but rather we were simply out on an adventure together. Dare I say, all felt gloriously normal. The outing challenged her enough to leave her needing a rest, and helped break up the day so that what could have been a long and dull day, actually flowed and was an enjoyable and relaxing one. Sleep last night was decent, and the sunrise this morning was an exceptional orange glow. As I drive home late this afternoon, I know that my way will be accompanied by a loud sing-along to my favorite songs of praise. God is loving and merciful, and He provides all that we need, just as it is needed. May we ever praise Him for His goodness and grace.

 

Forever faithful,

God of strength and grace;

Our space of refuge,

For all of our days.

You show us Your love,

As it never fails;

Kindness unending,

Your goodness prevails.

May we ever sing,

Give unending praise;

To You, our Savior,

Hope of all our days.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are goodness and kindness, strength and love. Thank You that You are our refuge forever. Thank You that You teach our hearts to sing, so that we may ever praise You. Forgive us for forgetting the tune that You have planted in our heart when things feel too heavy. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will place all in Your hands and praise You through life’s storms. Show us how to love those around us in a way that helps lighten the load that others are bearing, so that they too, may find the song within. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You, our strength and refuge, for Your unfailing love. Amen.

 

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

 

Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds. – 1 Chronicles 16:9

To Keep Moving On

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – (Philippians 3:13-14, NLT)

 

If I am to move forward in that which God is calling and equipping me, I have to let go of the past and look ahead, otherwise I will be stuck in a space of limbo. When we are caught in the in-between of what has been and what is yet to be, there is this sense of stuck that we cannot escape. It is only when we make the choice to fix our eyes completely on Jesus, that we find we have the capacity to begin moving forward in the direction to which we are being called. Even if our movement is painfully slow, pressing in and remaining focused on Him who calls, results in bringing us closer towards where we are headed than where we were before. May we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and press on toward our heavenly prize to which we are being called. Let the Lord lead us in this race, and allow Him to map out the race plan.

 

All that once has been,

is now done and gone;

we‘re called to step up,

and keep moving on.

With eyes fixed on Christ,

let us run this race;

not as a quick sprint,

but at His set pace.

Though there will be turns,

and trials each day;

may we keep running,

on His path, let’s stay.

For at the race end,

is the greatest prize;

eternal glory,

seen in Jesus’ eyes.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You, we can move beyond our past and look forward to what lies ahead. Thank You that You strengthen and equip us to press on to reach the end of our race and receive the heavenly prize for which You are calling us. Forgive us for forgetting that this life is not a sprint, but rather is a marathon. Help us to listen to Your race plan rather than our own. You know what is best, and You map out the very best route for us, individually. Help us to trust You more. Show us how to love others with the same relentless, limitless love that You give unto us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we look forward to what lies ahead, and press on into all that You are calling us to do. Amen.

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

Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; …my hope is in You all day long. – Psalm 25:4-5