Ever Present with Love

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to You. – (Psalm 86:5, NIV)

My Lord, You are good and merciful. You love all those who call to You for help. – (Psalm 86:5, ERV)

O Lord, You are good and ready to forgive; Your loyal love flows generously over all who cry out to You. – (Psalm 86:5, VOICE)

I am so grateful that God is ever present to help, forgive and love us as we call on His Name. His goodness and mercy are not dependent on our worthiness, but rather His love, mercy and grace cleanse us from all of our sin and make us worthy in His sight. The love that He has for us is so abundant, that it is meant to overflow to those around us. May we ever call on the Lord to be our help, hope, and grace, that we too, may extend mercy, goodness, and love to all those around us.

My Lord, You are good,

Loving, merciful;

You’re faithful to all,

Who upon You, call.

With wide open arms,

In love, You embrace;

Each as we choose come,

In trust, seek Your face.

It is as we seek,

That truly we find;

Your goodness and grace,

Always You are kind.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to make the way for us to boldly approach Your throne. Thank You that You hear us, see us, love and help us, each time we call on Your Name. Forgive us for our fears and doubts when we cannot see how You are present to move in our circumstances. Teach us to trust in Your faithfulness and love, for You have promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Show us how to love those around us in ways that make Your goodness known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we call on You in all things and at all times, and extend the very same goodness to all whom we encounter. Amen.

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

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:14

Over Everything

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the One who is over all things. – (1 Chronicles 29:11, NLT)

Greatness, power, glory, victory, and honor belong to You, because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You! The kingdom belongs to You, Lord! You are the head, the Ruler over everything. – (1 Chronicles 29:11, ERV)

All that is great and powerful and glorious and victorious and majestic is Yours, O Eternal One. Indeed, everything that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to You. The kingdom belongs to You, O Eternal One, and You are the head of it all. – (1 Chronicles 29:11, VOICE)

 

Everything is His. Sometimes, it is challenging to remember that. Yesterday began on very little sleep. Mom needed to get up a few times in the night, and my own heightened awareness seemed to get the better of me, stealing the precious time afforded between “get-ups”, and when she was ready to be up for breakfast a few short minutes after I gave in and got up to do my devotions, that was the end of any possible rest opportunities for me for the morning. Our day was filled with a good sort of busy, as dear “framily” whom we have known for nearly my entire life, stopped by for a quick hug and “hello”, on their way through to Leavenworth. Their visit was a wonderful boost for mom, and a great encouragement for all. The day unfolded with far more appointments than anticipated, as we ended up with a quick meeting with her case manager, a physical therapy appointment (that was indeed scheduled), and met the speech therapist for an entry assessment to determine a starting point for the work that will be done for recovery. During physical therapy, Victor had mom doing new and more challenging exercises than she had ever done before. We were all excited and encouraged by her strength and resolve to do the hard work, and discover new things that she is capable of doing right now. Her speech assessment went equally well, as Jim was thrilled with her starting point, and extremely positive about the outlook for her rehabilitation potential. Impressed with the connections she has already reestablished; he was grinning ear-to-ear as he entered his notes in preparation for what is yet to come. Once the dust had settled and everyone had gone, we had thoughts of watching a movie before dinner. Barely five minutes in,  mom recognized her own need for rest, and let me know she needed to go lay down. Rather than rest myself, I hopped online to determine whether or not Instacart is available in mom’s area. To my relief, it is, and I did some grocery shopping online, to be delivered within a few short hours. Upon completion, exhaustion set in. I spoke with my sweet spouse, and was in nearly meltdown mode. Thankfully, he is patient and kind, and simply offered words of love and encouragement in my depleted state. After a few hours, the delivery of our groceries, and a quick call to my sister, I woke mom for dinner. I’m not sure if it was dinner, the delivery, the check-in with my sister, seeing mom rested, my conversation with my Viking, or purely the grace of God, but I had a second wind that carried me through the remainder of the evening.

Everything belongs to God. My need for rest, mom’s sleep patterns, and the grace needed to get through. Last night, mom slept all the way until 3 am, which is huge, and not that far from my normal waking hours on a work day. I am far more rested this morning, and refreshed in the hope of a new day. God is good, and the victory is His as we navigate each step of this journey.

 

Yours is the greatness,

This morning’s waking view. ❤

All power and praise;

Lord of the heavens,

And King of our days.

All of existence,

Is because of You;

Grace for the journey,

Your love sees us through.

Forever our hearts,

In awe, we shall stand;

As You hold us up,

In Your mighty hands.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that all greatness, power, glory, majesty and splendor are Yours, as everything in heaven and earth belong to You. Thank You that You are head over all, and that nothing is beyond Your reach. Thank You that You see us, hear us, and know our needs – great and small. Forgive us for forgetting how faithful You are, even in the little things. Teach us to trust You more, even for the things that seem insignificant. Show us how to love those around us in a way that helps others grasp Your glory. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You and trust all in Your hands. Amen.

 

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

 

The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. – John 3:35

To Rest and Recharge

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. – (Psalm 62:5, NIV)

Oh, I must find rest in God only, because my hope comes from Him! – (Psalm 62:5, CEB)

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. – (Psalm 62:5, NLT)

 

Yesterday was an unusual day for me. Though I easily woke at the typical time, the more I moved around, the more I became aware of my own weariness from my lack of sleep the night prior. After doing my devotional reading, and even determining which verse stood out to me, I was struggling to stay alert as my fingers kept missing the keys they were aiming for on the keyboard. Thinking perhaps a shower would help, I set aside finishing my reflecting and writing, and went downstairs. However, after that, my head felt heavy, and all I wanted to do was lie down; so, I did. At first, I thought a short “power nap” would do, but soon discovered that my body really needed real rest. What I realized is that He was providing me time to recharge, as God did not demand that I finish writing, and that He was ready to grant me the rest needed if I would only slow down and just rest. The extra hour plus of sleep that I gained yesterday morning carried me through a full day of meetings, followed by a long union meeting in a hot high school gym to learn about and vote upon our newly proposed teaching contract. The vote was ratified and our district is pleased to have a nearly unanimous “Yes” vote on the new three-year contract. I went to sleep easily, knowing that hope in Him and the rest I’d found had carried me through a day that would have otherwise been difficult. May we ever seek the Lord to be our rest, for our hope comes from Him alone.

 

When weariness comes,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

We need to find rest;

In Christ, choose recharge,

For His grace is best.

The Source of all hope,

On God we depend;

As His love for us,

Does not know an end.

So, ever choose seek,

The Lord God above;

Our hope and our rest,

He grants us in love.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing faithfulness and love. Thank You that You see us and know us, and are ever ready to grant us the rest and hope that we need. Forgive us for not slowing down to recognize our own spaces of need or for neglecting to seek You. Teach us to trust You more, as You are our grantor of hope and rest. Show us how to love those around us in a way that provides the help and hope that is needed to lighten hearts and loads, and ultimately draw people unto You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, Lord. Be glorified O God, as we find our rest in You, our holder of hope. Amen.

 

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

 

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28