Accepting Others Honors God

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. – (Romans 15:7, NIV)

Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other. This will bring honor to God. – (Romans 15:7, ERV)

So accept one another in the same way the Anointed has accepted you so that God will get the praise He is due. – (Romans 15:7, VOICE)

 

Christ accepts us just as we are, wherever we are at in our lives. We are called to do the same for others. In doing so, we are honoring God and bringing praise to Him. God does not ask us to clean ourselves up and get everything all together in order to come to Him, but rather He extends open arms toward us, and is ready to walk beside us as we learn to live and lead a life according to His good and perfect will. The Lord is so gracious with us, how can we help but extend the same to those around us? Furthermore, why wouldn’t we desire with all our hearts, to do the very things that honor He who loves us without limits? May we receive the acceptance that God has given us, so that we may in turn, go forth and accept others, extending kindness and love, grace and goodness, just as we have been shown by Him.

It was a full week for mom, as she reentered the rigor of both physical and speech therapists coming to the home to work with her to strengthen and create new pathways where there is still struggle. Mom’s initial take on the week is extremely positive, as she is encouraged to move forward and work hard toward her ultimate goal of regaining independence. She is strong and tenacious, and willing to persevere in her pursuit. Additionally, mom has a phenomenal support system surrounding her, as my sister, brother-in-love, and nephews, encourage, love and support her each day. I know the communication from her beloved friends and family near and far, makes a world of difference as well. She is accepted as she is, where she is at, and does the same for those around her. All honor and praise to God, for He is indeed so good.

 

We’re called to accept,

Each other in love;

Just as our Father,

Has done from above.

He does not require,

Qualifications;

But rather, accepts,

Our lot and stations.

The way that God loves,

Is how we are called;

To love and accept,

People, one and all.

For each time we choose,

To love with our days;

We honor the Lord,

And give our God praise.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving and accepting us as we are. Thank You that by doing so, You walk beside us and lead us into the life to which we are called. Thank You that You call us to love and accept others in the same way, and when we do, we are honoring You. Forgive us for the times that we have not been accepting of others. Show us where we have fallen short, and how to be better. Lead us to love and accept others in the same way that You accept us all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we accept others in the same way that You accept us. Amen.

 

 

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

 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. – Ephesians 4:2

Seek for Strength

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

Depend on the Lord for strength. Always go to Him for help. – (1 Chronicles 16:11, ERV)

Seek the Lord; yes, seek His strength, and seek His face untiringly. – (1 Chronicles 16:11, TLB)

 

Every day is a day to look to the Lord for His strength, yet days that happen to be overwhelmingly scheduled with busy from morning until nearly bedtime, are especially strong reminders to seek the Lord for His help. Today happens to be one of those days. Our first early dismissal day happens to coincide with Open House. For the kids, this is fantastic, as they are able to have extra time at home to relax before returning to school to introduce their parents to their teachers and tour around the school. However, for staff, early dismissal actually means time with our colleagues for professional collaboration. Early out days for the kids, actually tend to be longer for staff, and for many of us, will be with little or no break all the way to the end of Open House. It is always a joy to meet the families; there is need though, for His strengthening to have the stamina to remain “on” for so many hours. Additionally, the Open House for my own children’s school happens to be this evening as well. This will be the first time in their schooling that I have been unable to attend. I am hopeful that their Open House has later hours than ours, and I can somehow swing by, but I am uncertain yet as to whether or not that is possible. Either way, God is good, and He will provide the strength I need to navigate today. May we ever seek the Lord for strength, for He is faithful to meet us each time that we seek Him.

Today will be mom’s speech therapy assessment for in-home care in Oregon. After more than a month-long battle to work out insurance issues, the day has finally come. Though mom’s speech has returned extraordinarily well since late April, word finding can still be a frustration, especially when she is tired. Speech therapy is fantastic for aiding in rebuilding the pathways to assist with the areas of struggle, and I know mom is eager to get back to it. Please continue to pray with us for the people whom God has chosen to work with mom, and for God to be her strength as she continues in her ongoing recovery and rehabilitation.

 

On the longest days,

When we are unsure;

Of how we’ll get through,

In Christ, we’re secure.

The Lord, He provides,

All that our hearts need;

To rise in His strength,

As in love, He leads.

So, trust in the Lord,

He provides with grace;

Strength, love and His peace,

Throughout all our days.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can seek You to be our strength. Thank You that You are faithful to supply all that we need to navigate each new day. Forgive us for the times that we think we have to do it alone, or somehow have to “power through”. Teach us to trust and rely on You more. Show us how to love those around us well, so that we may offer strength and support, grace and peace, to encourage weary hearts to press on. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to be our strength, even on our longest days. Amen.

 

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

I lift my eyes up to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2

Carry Me

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who bears our burdens. – (Psalm 68:19, NIV)

Praise the Lord! Every day He helps us with the loads we must carry. He is the God who saves us. – (Psalm 68:19, ERV)

Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in His arms. – (Psalm 68:19, NLT)

 

God is the God of all grace. His help is tangible, and most days, the very air that I am breathing. In this longest season, He provided a 24-hour reprieve with my family and friends. Though it was not what I had anticipated, it was what I needed. Due to a mix-up on drop-off times, it was discovered that my boys would not be leaving until evening, (for their nine-day long cruise with Sea Scouts) rather than the original morning time that I had anticipated. As it turned out, it was a wonderful blessing. In the morning, I was able to run some errands and spend time with Mark, go for a run with Ashley, and allow the boys a few extra hours of sleep. After having returned to shower and get ready, the boys and I had time to enjoy a nice lunch out together and run a quick last-minute errand, prior to my drive back to Wenatchee. A dear friend had volunteered to drop the boys off in the evening, so I knew that they would be delivered safely too. God’s grace lightened the load that I was bearing, even though it did not look the way that I had envisioned it would.

Yesterday, as I was blessed with bonus time with my husband and boys, mom had more wonderful visiting time with her dear friends. From great conversation at the breakfast table, to ongoing engaging exchange throughout the day, I returned to the trio happily communicating with each other in the living room. It took some adjusting to reestablish our routine, but by bedtime, we were back in sync. All of the time spent in conversation and connection was the best speech therapy that mom could have asked for. It was clear that she had utilized all of her energy throughout the day, as she was ready to sleep by bedtime. Unfortunately, sleep did not go as smoothly as it has been, with a few wake-ups during the night. I am hopeful that it was an isolated incident, brought on by transitions, and am praying that we get back to sweet sleep tonight.

Despite the anticipation of the road ahead, I will praise Him, for He will carry the burdens that we are not meant to bear.

 

All praise to our God,

Who lightens the load;

Carries our burdens,

When we hit rough roads.

His goodness and grace,

Ever they are near;

As He soothes heartache,

And fends off our fears.

When things are too much,

And we can’t go on;

The Lord carries us,

By grace, makes us strong.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness, kindness and grace. Thank You that You carry us when the burdens are too heavy to bear. Thank You that You know what we need and You provide far better than what we would hope or imagine for ourselves. Forgive us for our frustrations and fears when things do not go according to plan. Teach us to trust You more, as You never leave us nor forsake us, and You make a way where there seems to be no way. Show us how to love those around us well, so that we might encourage, strengthen and build up the spaces that are lacking. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your faithfulness to come alongside us and carry us when we can go no further. 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

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

The Illuminated Path

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. – (Psalm 119:105, NIV)

Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take. – (Psalm 119:105, ERV)

By Your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. – (Psalm 119:105, MSG)

 

Sitting at mom’s kitchen table before sunrise, I take in the familiar view I love. Something that has always struck me as significant, is how even in the dark of night, the few streetlights that are strategically placed on the highway near the turnoff to drive to mom’s house, seem to illuminate the darkness, with a sort of light that glows far greater than ordinary streetlights. It is almost as if at night, the moon shines upon the spot to point the way as well. I included a photo, but it hardly does the actual scene before me justice, as the camera allowed in far too much surrounding light. It was actually far darker outside, and the light at the turnoff, is more pronounced.  God shows us the way that we are meant to go. Sometimes it is subtle and we have to listen for the whisper or be ever alert to see the signs along the route; however, there are times that He illuminates the turnoff with such intensity, that there is no denying that it is the direction we must go. As we prepare for the next steps for mom, we desire the illuminated path to be made plain before us.

Yesterday, mom had a great and exhausting day of work that left her weary by the day’s end. She continued to work on upper body mobility and strengthening in occupational therapy, lower body movement and strengthening in physical therapy, and vocal strengthening and word recall in speech therapy. One of the many exciting things that took place yesterday, occurred during PT. Mom was trying to lift her right leg from fully extended (while lying down) up to the bent position. She pulled and struggled, worked and strained. With a small bit of assist, she did several, until her leg was fatigued and she needed to rest that leg. While her leg was extended straight, we all were chatting about something or another, and mom spontaneously pulled her leg right up to bent to adjust her pants, because she didn’t like the way that they were bunched up. Stephanie and I just stared at her. We exchanged looks of awe, looked at her, and then giggled in amazement, as she too, realized what she had just done, without thinking about it. Clearly it had made an impact on mom, as she was pleased to retell the story to my sister when we spoke on the phone later last evening.

May we continue to trust in the One who makes plain the path before us, as He lights the way that we are meant to go.

 

Lord, Your holy word,

I’ll keep in my heart;

For it is a lamp,

To lead, set apart.

For You have great plans,

For us, one and all;

If we choose listen,

And answer Your call.

God, help us hear You,

Show us the right way;

Lead us and guide us,

Near You, help us stay.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet. Thank You that You not only show us the way, but You guide each step. Forgive us for our fear and doubts when we know the route but cannot yet see the steps to reach the destination. Teach us to trust You more. Show us how to love those around us in a way that spreads Your light and life and hope in all whom we encounter. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You and Your word to lead us and guide us, all the days of our lives. Amen.

 

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

 

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life. – Psalm 143:8

A Loving Warrior

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all Your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. – (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT)

The Lord your God is with you. He is like a powerful soldier. He will save you. He will show how much He loves you and how happy He is with you. He will laugh and be happy about you. – (Zephaniah 3:17, ERV)

Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, He’ll calm you with His love and delight you with His songs. – (Zephaniah 3:17, MSG)

 

It amazes me how often the verse of the day on my Bible application, is exactly the reminder I need. This morning, as I am on the other side of the mountains from mom and prepare to head back to work for a few days before returning to her after having not set foot in my classroom in nearly three weeks, I am more than a little nervous. Fortunately, I am comfortable about mom because my sister is there with her, and am able to be present with my family at home. Yesterday morning, I actually woke myself up from dreaming, as I had been telling my students about what had happened, and why I had been gone so long. Clearly returning to my classes has weighed heavily on my heart, and the unknown can be a bit of a fearful space. That being said, the past several weeks of my life have been nothing but unknowns. When we first drove to Wenatchee to mom in the hospital, we did not know the shape that she would be in. We knew not what the road to recovery and restoration would have in store, nor the timeline that would be required. Even now, we do not fully know the answers, however, God does. Even in this, we have found joy. There has been laughter, and smiles, gladness and delight. Peace and calm have come when they did not seem possible, and really did not make sense.

Mom continues to work tirelessly in each therapy session, and that which used to be the most frustration for her, is now becoming an area where she is seeing the most rapid growth and gratification. Speech therapy works not only on word recognition, cognition, reading, memory, logic and the like, but they are also working on strengthening her vocal cords. One of the things the stroke affected was the power of mom’s voice. Typically outgoing with a boisterous and jovial voice, the stroke left her quite soft-spoken. Her vocal work in speech therapy is helping her find the power in her voice again. We share many giggles in the process.

In all of this, God is with us, a present, loving warrior, battling on our behalf, loving us through the process as He calms our fears. May we ever trust in the One who delights in us, and listen to the songs He sings over us with joy.

 

The Lord is present,

Ever He is near;

Loving warrior,

We’ve nothing to fear.

With our God for us,

He’ll hold us upright;

Fighting our battles,

All day and all night.

Choose trust in the One,

Whose love grants us peace;

And sings over us,

Delightful release.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being both our loving Savior and mighty Warrior. Thank You that You delight in us and sing over us, granting us peace in our spaces of fear. Forgive us for our fear of the unknown and unexplainable; for You already know the outcome and have a plan and a purpose for all. Teach us to trust the truth of Your word, that Your plans are to prosper and not to harm, to give a hope and a future. Show us how to love those around us well, so that Your loving strength shines through us clearly. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we rise up and receive the covering You provide for us in Your strength and love. Amen.

 

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

 

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