It is Well With My Soul

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. – (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)

Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. – (Hebrews 11:1, ERV)

Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. – (Hebrews 11:1, TPT)

 

Faith trusts that what we hope will actually come to pass. Both faith and hope are required to navigate this season of life, as I walk so closely beside mom, in these months following her stroke. We hope for a full recovery, and have faith that she will attain independence and regain what was lost. In the beginning, we did not see much at all; it was completely a matter of believing in that which we could not yet see. Now, as we are a few months into her rehabilitation and recovery, there are mile markers along the way that encourage hope and fortify our faith, though we still do not see fully, that which we are hoping for. God is good and He is faithful, as He shows us what we need, as it is needed. Progress seems painfully slow by human standards, but when we pause and reflect, it is actually miraculous that mom is able to walk the full length of her hallway twice, by herself with her walker, when nearly three months ago, she could not even move her right side at all. Furthermore, there is proof found in the hearts of those most closely impacted by mom and how she is navigating this ordeal. I know that for myself, my spouse, my sister, my children, and her dearest friends, we have all learned to love more deeply and hope more firmly in faith, as we have walked beside her and have witnessed in wonder, her perseverance and positivity, even when the road has seemed impossibly long and difficult to navigate. Faith in what we hope for is exactly what brings reality into existence.

The milestones overcome yesterday were not so much physical feats, as much as fears conquered for mom. She knows how much I desire to move and be outdoors, and for the last nearly three months, I have had little time to do either. I had mentioned that it might be nice if we all went down to the river walk together for a little stroll, but did not push nor place much weight on it, as I needed it to be her decision. Incredibly, she threw caution to the wind, and determined that we ought to go down by the river for a wander. My husband, children, mom and myself, walked (pushing mom in her chair) for over an hour! Mom had given me the gift of movement, and herself the realization that she was indeed safe to go beyond the barriers of a drive-thru or a small restaurant. Her smile, as evidenced in the photo below, shows that it fueled her heart as much as it did mine. My love of the outdoors was nurtured from an early age by her, and she too, needs to be out and moving. I think getting out was a wonderful reminder of just how much it benefits us both. After the riverfront, we came home and enjoyed visiting together until after lunch. Upon our return, we were greeted by my best friend, who had driven over to stay a night to celebrate my birthday too. As we said our goodbyes to Mark and the boys, the ladies and I began to visit a while. The second milestone of the day came when a dear friend called to see if she was up for a visit with another mutual friend, whom my mom had not seen in twenty-five plus years. At first, mom said, “no”. When I told her it would be in a few hours, she softened, and said okay. I was both pleased and amazed. The three ladies had a wonderful visit together, and I was able to visit with my bestie. After they had gone, the three of us had an amazing dinner and we taught Robin our favorite game. The day drew to a close, and each of us could confidently say, “It is well with my soul.”

 

Hope is the anchor,

That faith holds onto;

Trusting in the Lord,

That His word is true.

Hope for the unseen,

Below raging seas;

Calm in the chaos,

Peace He brings to me.

Faith to rest assured,

That He’s ever near;

Making our path plain,

As His love is clear.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the faith and hope that You grow in us when we turn to You in trust. Thank You that You will take faith as small as a mustard seed, and grow it into something great. Forgive us for allowing our fears and failures to stand in the way of Your goodness and grace. Teach us to trust You more, as You are able to do immeasurably more than we could ever hope or imagine. Show us how to love those around us in a way that encourages hope and strengthens faith. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in that which we cannot see and have faith in that which we know we can hold hope forever. Amen.

 

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

 

For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. – Psalm 33:4

Our Help and Defense

For He is our God. We are the people He watches over, the flock under His care. – (Psalm 95:7a, NLT)

He is our God, and we are the people He cares for, His sheep that walk by His side. – (Psalm 95:7a, ERV)

For He is our God and we are His people, the flock of His pasture, His sheep protected and nurtured by His hand. – (Psalm 95:7a, VOICE)

 

God is faithful. As we choose to submit to Him and place our trust in His hands, recognizing that we honestly cannot control our circumstances, yet God, who is greater than all, is willing and able to hold us in the palm of His hands and lead us through whatever comes our way; it is only then that we begin to see the power of His promise fantastically fulfilled. For me, (and my sister and mom) having to switch in-home care companies for mom’s stroke recovery rehabilitation therapists, due to the loss of a speech therapist from the former company, was both frustrating and terrifying. Mom had a wonderful rapport with her therapists, she worked hard for them, and trusted them completely. We had to embrace the idea of the new, albeit with some reservations, and anticipate that God had a plan for mom that was greater still. Yesterday, as mom worked with both the new occupational therapist and speech therapist, it became abundantly clear that these were the people whom God had selected for mom to work with now. During the first few weeks of mom’s in-home care, she benefited greatly from the enthusiasm and energy of the young therapists, who were just getting started in their careers. However, now, after a time of building up, she was ready for some veterans to come in and fine-tune; people with bigger bags of tricks, to take her to the next step of rehabilitation and recovery. God knew, even if we could not see past the initial loss of what was familiar. May we choose to trust in He, who is the Good Shepherd, ever watching over and protecting His sheep.

 

For He is our God,

And we too, are His;

We’re safe in His hands,

He does what He says.

Our God is faithful,

In love, He protects;

He makes our path plain,

Each step He directs.

Even in spaces,

That do not make sense;

He’ll be our anchor,

Our Help and Defense.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the Good Shepherd and that we are the flock that You lovingly care for and call by name. Thank You that You know us and love us and hold us in the hollow of Your hands. Forgive us for our fears and doubts when the road before us does not seem to make any sense. Teach us to trust You more, as You are our anchor in the storm and our calm in the chaos. Show us how to love those around us in a way that offers peace, security, strength and trust in times of trial. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we look to You, our Good Shepherd, and listen for Your voice, in all things and at all times, as You lovingly lead us and keep us safe. Amen.

 

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

 

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. – Hebrews 6:19

Inscribed on Human Hearts

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. – (2 Corinthians 3:3, NIV)

You show that you are a letter from Christ that He sent through us. This letter is not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. It is not written on stone tablets but on human hearts. – (2 Corinthians 3:3, ERV)

You are the living letter of the Anointed One, the Liberating King, nurtured by us and inscribed, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God – a letter too passionate to be chiseled on stone tablets, but emblazoned upon the human heart. – (2 Corinthians 3:3, VOICE)

 

Though this verse is but a portion of Paul’s second letter to the church of Corinth, it applies to all who faithfully pursue the Lord and seek to do His will. Those who invest in the spiritual growth of others, help nurture the truth that Christ engraves upon the hearts of all who follow Him. It is by God’s Spirit that our hearts become more like His. I love the imagery that this presents. We, as followers of Christ, carry the Spirit of God in our heart, and help others discover the same. Our hearts emblazoned with the love, light and truth of the living God… May we ever passionately pursue Christ, as He is the way, the truth and the light, who deposits His heart in ours, so that we may love as He loves.

 

A letter of love,

Inscribed not with ink;

But by God’s Spirit,

Most holy love link.

His Spirit within,

Makes the truth be known;

So as we love well,

His heart shall be shown.

In all that we do,

And all that we say;

May our hearts make known,

God’s goodness and grace.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we pursue You, You inscribe truth, love and light within us, so that we may point others to all that You are. Thank You for the people whom You have placed in our lives to show us what it is to have a heart that has been inscribed by You. Forgive us for the times that we have not pursued Your heart or have failed to represent all that You have deposited within us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would further seek Your inscription upon our lives, and go forth investing in others around us, so that they too, may know Your nearness. Show us how to love like You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we allow You to write upon the tablet of our heart. Amen.

 

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

 

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 3:3

 

Blessings to the Seeking

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and living righteously, and He will give you everything you need. – (Matthew 6:33, NLT)

What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what He wants you to do. Then He will give you all these other things you need. – (Matthew 6:33, ERV)

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. – (Matthew 6:33, MSG)

 

As we pursue God and the path He has placed before us, He provides all that we need. We may not acquire everything we want, yet so often what we receive in His time, is a far greater gift than anything that we could ever ask or imagine. In my life, I was content in my season of singleness, and set my sight on loving God and my children well. All that we needed, His hand provided. Incredibly, He did so much more. New love took root where any thought or hope of such love had been long since lost. It was nurtured to grow as never before, and the longing to be loved as God intended that had been buried in the depths of my heart, has become a true tangible. All of this to say, as we seek our Savior and pursue the path that is upright, He provides all that we need and more. May we seek the Lord above all else, doing what He asks of us, and we will know the bounty of His provision, personally.

 

Seek first our Savior,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

And pursue what’s right;

He honors each heart,

In Him who delights.

With grace, He meets us,

In goodness He gives;

All that is needed,

As by faith we live.

Incredible still,

He goes on to bless;

His kids who seek Him,

Despite our life’s mess.

Kindness in chaos,

Peace throughout our storms;

Ongoing goodness,

As His love transforms.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we seek You, we find You. Thank You that when we pursue the path You place before us You provide all that we need to navigate. Forgive us for the times we have attempted to go our own direction and lacked the faith to trust in You. Teach us to trust You more, as You are faithful forever and have great things in store as we walk in Your way. Show us how to love those around us in a way that demonstrates Your faithfulness in a tangible way. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and pursue what is right in Your eyes. Amen.

 

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

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:8

Speak With Care

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – (Ephesians 4:29, NIV)

When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need – whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. – (Ephesians 4:29, ERV)

And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them. – (Ephesians 4:29, TPT)

 

Words matter. Words can build up or they can tear down. What we do with our words may have a lasting impact on the hearer, far beyond what we will ever know. This works with both encouragement and that which is destructive. One unkind, ugly or hateful word spoken carelessly, can haunt the hearer for years. If a child is already feeling discouraged and struggling, and someone comes along and tells them that they are stupid, that thoughtless word can become a barrier to them becoming their best self for an extended stretch of time. On the contrary, when a child is built up, encouraged, nurtured, loved and valued with words (and actions that prove them true), they soar as they are equipped to become the best version of themselves. Adults are no different. Marriages, friendships, work environments, etcetera – all grow stronger and become better when encouragement and grace are prevalent. I have experienced both, and the difference between the two is surviving and thriving. People surrounded by ugly and hateful words either join in and engage, attempt to bring change, or stay silent. Either way, it creates a survival sort of mentality. However, in an environment of encouragement and grace, people grow and become equipped to do likewise. May we watch our words with wisdom, knowing that what we say has the capacity to either build up or tear down.

 

May all of our words,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

Be spoken with care;

For words have power,

Bring life or despair.

Our words can build up,

Bring out other’s best;

As we encourage,

Receivers are blessed.

Yet in the same way,

Words that are unkind;

Can wound and destroy,

The ears that they find.

So, let all we say,

Be seasoned with grace;

Spoken with kindness,

Throughout all our days.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that the words that You have for us are love and life and light and full of goodness and grace. Thank You that You call and equip us to do the same with the words that we extend to others. Forgive us for the words that we have spoken that have wounded others. Teach us to stop and think before we speak, seeking Your heart and help to extend words that encourage and build up, rather than destroy. Show us how to love those around us with encouraging words and use each word spoken to help others become a better version of themselves. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek Your wisdom for every word that leaves our lips. Amen.

 

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

 

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. – Psalm 19:14

Take Delight

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. – (Psalm 37:4, NIV)

Enjoy serving the Lord, and He will give you whatever you ask for. – (Psalm 37:4, ERV)

Enjoy the Lord, and He will give what your heart asks. – (Psalm 37:4, CEB)

Take great joy in the Eternal! His gifts are coming, and they are all your heart desires! – (Psalm 37:4, VOICE)

 

God is so good. As we seek and serve Him, our desires are shaped by who we are becoming in Him, and He shows us in ways beyond what we could hope or imagine, how He will give us the very things that we are hoping for in His Name. As my fiancé and I are preparing for our wedding in July, we have begun the process of searching for a home that will accommodate he and his son and me and my two boys. It is a challenging task to find a space that meets the needs of three teenage boys, two adults, several vehicles, and the need for space to spread out, as the personalities of each need room of our own. Additionally, we would love a space that has room to welcome others into our home to share a meal, come and visit from out-of-state (as we both have extended family far away), and space to decompress from the hurried pace that is required in both of our jobs. Yesterday, we were shown our dream home. It fulfilled everything on our wish list and more. The price was higher than we had hoped, and we did not think it would be feasible until we went back, sat down, and really analyzed numbers on paper. We both were in awe as we ran the numbers and discovered that as two heads of household merged into one, we would indeed be able to afford the home we desired most without overextending ourselves. God continues to remind me that as I delight in Him, He will bless me with the desires that He has placed in my heart. The hopes and dreams that my heart holds are not simply random thoughts that came out of nowhere, but rather they are things birthed and nurtured within my design, intentionally. May we ever delight in the Lord and seek to serve Him, as He is the One who gives us what our hearts desire most.

Delight in the Lord,

For He is the One;

Who knows our heart’s cry,

As each day is done.

The more that we seek,

The Lord and His will;

Our hopes shall align,

And dreams be fulfilled.

For when He’s our joy,

Desires come from Him;

Blessings are bestowed,

Both outside and in.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we delight in You, You give us the desires of our hearts. Thank You that You love to bless Your children. Thank You for the incredible ways that You move beyond what we could hope or imagine, and that the hopes and dreams that dwell within us come from You. Forgive us for our doubts or for thinking that anything is impossible for You. Teach us to trust You more, and to place our hopes, dreams and desires in Your hands. Show us how to love those around us in a way that grants hope and courage and joy in the wait between the dream and the fulfillment. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we delight in You and give all glory to You as You bless us with the very things our hearts are longing for. Amen.

 

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

Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. – James 5:13

Able to Answer

Be wise in the way you act with those who are not believers. Use your time in the best way you can. When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should. – (Colossians 4:5-6, ERV)

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversations be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. – (Colossians 4:5-6, NLT)

 

The things that we say and do matter. In some circles, the only Jesus people have ever seen is that which we display through our words and deeds. If we show love and kindness and wisdom with our words and actions, the grace of God within us will draw others unto Himself. This is not something that just flows out of us at will, but rather is a capacity within us that is nurtured and grown as we seek and spend time with our Savior. The more we know Him, the more we reflect His heart through our words and way of being. May we ever seek the Lord and His grace, so that our lives are a clear reflection of His goodness and grace as we respond according to the Lord’s leading.

 

Be wise with actions,

Wherever you go;

For our words and deeds,

Are how God’s made known.

Help every word,

Be gracious and kind;

So we always speak,

With Your heart in mind.

If we seek the Lord,

For wisdom and grace;

He’ll help us respond,

And walk in His ways.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You will give us wisdom to act according to Your will and use our time wisely, if we seek You for help. Thank You that You do the same for how we speak with others, as You grant us Your grace to extend kindness and wisdom in how we answer everyone. Forgive us for acting according to our own will, rather than Yours, or for attempting to be kind without seeking You and Your grace. Teach us to trust You more, as You are our Source and Supply in all things. Show us how to love with kindness, wisdom and grace, so that people see You through how we love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek Your wisdom to act according to Your will wherever we go. Amen.

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

Shout aloud and sing for joy. – Isaiah 12:6