Trust Brings Health and Healing

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding… This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones. – (Proverbs 3:5 and 8, HCSB)

Trust in the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge… If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body. – (Proverbs 3:5 and 8, ERV)

Place your trust in the Eternal; rely on Him completely; never depend upon your own ideas and inventions… If you depend on Him, your body and mind will be free from the strain of a sinful life, will experience healing and health, and will be strengthened at their core. – (Proverbs 3:5 and 8, VOICE)

After extensive surgery to repair his leg and a few days in the hospital, our eldest kiddo is home to rest and heal. For him, this will be a long season, as he is accustomed to hopping in the car and heading out whenever he so desires, plus, he was quite used to working long hours. Now, he simply has to rest and recover. There is to be no weight bearing activity for a few months. His only outings will be medical appointments. Honestly, I think the only way to get through this is to depend on God to be present to help. Not only is the Lord’s help needed as he heals, but his mind will need comfort and strength to persevere and not grow agitated or angry. Depending on God and those whom He has placed in our lives, provides what we need to navigate every season we find ourselves in. It is my prayer that this kiddo will experience the healing, help and strengthening of God in tangible ways. May we ever trust in the Lord and rely on Him, for He is our help and the One who carries us through the times that we lack the strength to travel the road ahead. 

Choose trust in the Lord,

With all that we are;

He’s our help and hope,

Whether near or far.

God is the Healer,

Lifter of our soul;

Provider in need,

Hope that makes us whole.

So, trust in the Lord,

Our Healer and hope;

Who grants us the strength,

We all need to cope.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can trust in You. Thank You that navigating this life is not dependent on our own understanding, but rather You come alongside us and provide what we need to keep moving forward. Forgive us for our fears and lack of faith when we cannot see hope ahead. Thank You that You are hope and help and strength. Teach us to trust in You in all things and at all times. Show us how to love those around us well, so that Your heart is made evident through our actions. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You to help, heal and strengthen us to keep moving forward in the direction to which we are called. Amen.

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

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Strength and Protection

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest… – (Ephesians 6:14, HCSB)

So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. – (Ephesians 6:14, ERV)

Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. – (Ephesians 6:14, TPT)

The reason I always look at the various translations of a passage is because so often, the slight variation in the phrasing helps my heart to make connections between what is being said and how it applies to my own life. This morning, the imagery of The Passions Translation hits home. In the same way that one wears a belt to lift heavy weights for protecting and strengthening the back, so too does truth girded around us, grant us the strength we need to stand strong in faith. Additionally, protective armor to cover the heart reminds me that we are not called to be hard-hearted, but rather, we are to allow God to protect our tender heart with His armor. I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use His strength each day, and His protection over my heart in this incredibly long and exhausting season. May we ever seek the Lord to strengthen and protect us, for His armor is stronger than anything that comes against us.

The power of truth,

God’s strength unto us;

Protection each day,

Faithful, God with us.

Place over each heart,

Your armor and grace;

Our help and our strength,

Throughout all our days.

Please help us to rise,

In truth, make us strong;

Lead and protect us,

In You, carry on.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that each time we seek You, You lovingly strengthen and protect us in the truth of You great love. Forgive us for forgetting the strength that is found in Your word and the faithfulness of Your protection when we seek You. Teach us to pursue more of You to be equipped and empowered to walk out each new day well. Show us how to love those around us in ways that exemplify the strength of Your word and protection in Your powerful hands. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to secure the belt of truth about us, and to be the armor that protects and guards our heart. Amen.

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

Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always. – 1 Chronicles 16:11

Perfect Does Not Mean Easy

As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him. – (Psalm 18:30, NIV) 

God’s way is perfect. The Lord’s promise always proves true. He protects those who trust in Him. – (Psalm 18:30, ERV) 

Everything God does is perfect; the promise of the Eternal rings true; He stands as a shield for all who hide in Him. – (Psalm 18:30, VOICE) 

God’s perfection does not equate to easy or smooth. His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts, our thoughts. Perfect, is seeing things to completion; making flawless or faultless. Often the road to completion requires navigating rough terrain, as God‘s perfect plan requires strengthening, perseverance, or some other sort of growth to teach us and prepare us for other obstacles we will have to overcome. His promises are true, as He will never leave us nor forsake us. Always, no matter how things appear, God is present to help guide us in the way we are meant to go. The more we trust Him, the greater our awareness becomes of His protection and provision. May we choose to trust in the Lord in all things, for He is faithful to His word, and He protects and provides perfectly as we walk in the way that He leads. 

The only perfect, 

Is God’s faithful plan; 

His road that leads us, 

To hear, understand. 

All that He’s promised, 

He’s faithful to do; 

As He stays present, 

And carries us through. 

Our refuge and strength, 

To whom we can run; 

Faithful forever, 

The Most Holy One. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your ways are perfect and Your promises are true. Thank You that we can run to You to be our shelter and safe space. Thank You that Your perfection makes up for where we are lacking. Forgive us for the times that we have doubted You or avoided running to You. Teach us that we can trust You in all things and at all times. Show us how to love those around us with relentless faith, allowing those around us to see You in us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust the perfection of Your promises, and seek You in all things. Amen. 

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

As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him. – 2 Samuel 22:31

Peace in His Protection

But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your Name may rejoice in You. – (Psalm 5:11, NIV)

But let those who trust in You be happy forever. Protect and strengthen those who love Your Name. – (Psalm 5:11, ERV)

But make everyone rejoice who puts his trust in You. Keep them shouting for joy because You are defending them. Fill all who love You with Your happiness. – (Psalm 5:11, TLB)

 

This morning, I am able to rejoice and be glad, for I know that God protected me. That being said, it was sadly, not my first response, as I discovered my flight to Reno was cancelled last evening. Though my husband had called me and given me a heads up that the city was experiencing high winds, and the landing would likely be quite turbulent, somehow, the severity of the weather did not really register in my mind. Then, after patiently sitting at my gate for over an hour, as I had breezed through security in five minutes, I received a text from my airline, notifying me that my flight had been cancelled and that I had been booked on another flight. At first, I merely thought I needed to find a new gate, but upon closer investigation, I had the revelation that the new flight had not been scheduled until twelve hours later. My initial reaction was frustration, as I was uncertain as to how I would get home and back to the airport again in the morning, and questioned why my flight was cancelled in the first place. After speaking with a kind ticket agent, who helped make certain I was all set for my flight this morning, it slowly dawned on me that not only my flight, but all the flights that evening, were cancelled into Reno, due to the high winds. Turbulence is not my friend, and staying safe while flying is of critical importance. After a good night’s sleep in my own bed, I am grateful that I was protected and kept safe, and am still happily anticipating the time I will have to spend with family for the remainder of the weekend with my husband, who is already in Reno. May we ever rejoice and place our trust in God, for He protects us and strengthens us with His goodness and love.

 

In gladness, let’s choose,

Take refuge in God;

Our safe hiding place,

Where peace is installed.

Even when events,

Makes no sense at all;

His purpose for us,

To love, it’s our call.

As we choose to trust,

It’s quite plain to see;

How He protects us,

Ever lovingly.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can always trust in You. Thank You that as we do, You are protecting and strengthening us, even when we have no idea how or why. Thank You that You see and know the entire story, not just the portion that our limited sights can see. Forgive us for our frustration when things don’t seem to go according to our own plans. Teach us to trust You and Your plans, as often the disruptions are simply for our protection. Show us how to love those around us as we navigate uncharted territory. Help us to live and love generously. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You and praise You for Your protection, strength and love that never leaves us and always has our best in mind. Amen.

 

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

 

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. – Proverbs 29:25

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

Prioritize Peace

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. – (Romans 14:19, NIV)

So let’s try as hard as we can to do what will bring peace. Let’s do whatever will help each other grow stronger in faith. – (Romans 14:19, ERV)

So then, make it your top priority to live a life of peace with harmony in your relationships, eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another. – (Romans 14:19, TPT)

 

In as much as we can, we ought to be in pursuit of peace with those around us. We are called to strengthen and encourage one another, prioritizing a life of harmony with those whom have been placed in our lives to love. This is not a “peace at any price” sort of scenario, but rather harmony through mutual encouragement and strengthening. Choosing to love in ways that make those around us stronger, rather than participating in that which can lead to dissension, is the sort of peaceful pursuit for which we are aiming. May we make every effort to do the things that lead to peace and mutual edification through His strength within us.

 

Wherever we can,

May we pursue peace;

Seek strengthen, build up,

Grace provides release.

Release from burdens,

Of judgment and scorn;

Instead, choose to love,

As Christ, the Adored.

Encourage others,

Do not choose tear down;

May peace direct us,

Let His love be found.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that through Your loving example, we are called to pursue peace. Thank You that You modeled how to strengthen and build up those around You. Forgive us for the times that we have brought others down. Teach us to trust You more, so that we may rely on You to lead us and show us how to build others up in love all around us in a way that brings peace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to honor You through a life of pursued peace. Amen.

 

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

 

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. – Psalm 34:14

Rise and Press On

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. – (Psalm 73:26, NIV)

Maybe my mind and body will become weak, but God is my Source of strength. He is mine forever. – (Psalm 73:26, ERV)

I admit how broken I am in body and spirit, but God is my strength, and He will be mine forever. – (Psalm 73:26, VOICE)

 

Learning something new can be the most exhilarating and frustrating thing on the planet. I know from experience that everything worthwhile, requires hard work. Currently, I am in a space where the learning curve is a bit overwhelming, as my mind attempts to grasp all the new and I commit my body to conform to the physical demands that are unlike anything I have ever done before. Nagging aches and strains are challenging my resolve, and my mind’s capacity to recall play after play as it is called seems to be compromised. Despite my feelings of lack, weakness and brokenness, the strength He provides within me, drives me to press on. Each day is new, and He refreshes and rebuilds us in our spaces of lack and leads us forward in His strength. May we ever seek God in our areas of weakness, trusting Him to empower us to move forward forever in His goodness and grace.

 

On days that we fail, 

Feel broken and weak;

Let’s trust in the One,

Provides those who seek.

For strength from within,

Is from God alone;

Forever He gives,

And makes His heart known.

Power presented,

To rise and press on;

Strengthening of heart,

Resolve is made strong.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we feel broken and weak, You are strong and You are our Source of strength to press forward in You. Thank You that You are our portion forever. Forgive us for our frustration with our own humanity, as we fall short and fail. Teach us to turn to You to be our Source of strength in our every weakness. Show us how to love and encourage those around us when they feel broken or weak. May many rise up and come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to be our strength where we are weak and give You all praise for Your faithful provision. Amen.

 

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

 

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

Forgiveness Fosters Love

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. – (Proverbs 17:9, NLT) 

Forgive someone, and you will strengthen your friendship. Keep reminding them, and you will destroy it. – (Proverbs 17:9, ERV) 

Those who forgive faults foster love, but those who repeatedly recall them ruin relationships. – (Proverbs 17:9, VOICE) 

 

Our world desperately is in need of the forgiveness of faults to move forward in the freedom that is found in love. Far too often fingers are pointed without taking an honest look in the mirror. We all fall short and make missteps, and at times our errors end up hurting someone near us. If we are walking in love as God calls us to love, we must choose to forgive and move forward. The more we give grace, the greater our friendships grow. Freedom to be human is a tremendous burden lifted, and as we are able to be transparent with those near to us, we are strengthened in our faith and better bonded as dear friends. May we ever choose to be the ones who forgive faults and foster love, just as Jesus has done for us. 

 

As we choose forgive, 

The love we have grows; 

Friendships are strengthened, 

As grace is made known. 

Those who dwell on faults, 

End up in great loss; 

Friendships are ruined, 

Far too great the cost. 

So let us choose love, 

Forgive and give grace; 

Build our bonds closer, 

Throughout all our days. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You care about our every interaction and relationship so much, that You give us guidance as to how to navigate best. Thank You that as we forgive, just as You have forgiven us, You bless us with stronger bonds in the relationships You have granted. Forgive us for dwelling on faults rather than forgiving. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would forgive as we have been forgiven by You. Show us how to love and give grace to those around us, ever strengthening the bonds of friendship that You are building among us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to love and forgive as we are loved and forgiven by You. Amen. 

 

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

 

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. – 1 Peter 2:19

Encouragement Through Community

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. – (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NLT)

 

I am continually in awe of how God provides what I need, when I need it most. Yesterday was a day overflowing with time together with treasured friends, doing things I enjoy most, and unexpected words of encouragement came my way throughout the day from friends near and far. Despite one unfortunate exchange, my day ended well and my heart was full as I reflected upon the incredible gifts that God has blessed me with through community. We are called to be in community for a purpose. Yes, great things can be accomplished when people come together with a common goal, but I also think that God intends for us to come together so that each part of the whole is made stronger through the encouragement and strengthening of one another. May we each choose to invest well in the community in which we are placed. Let our words be full of encouragement, so that we build each other up, just as Christ does for us.

 

All thanks be to God,

As He sees each need;

He loves us to life,

And sets our hearts free.

Free from the burdens,

That wear our hearts down;

Free from the heartache,

That seeks steal our crown.

He places us each,

In community;

It’s in this sweet space,

We find how to be.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the communities in which You have planted me. I am in awe of how You use those around me to build up and encourage my heart. Thank You for loving me so well. Forgive me for not acting on every opportunity that You present to encourage or build up another. Teach me to trust You more, so that I would be willing to take risks and be vulnerable, if it is for the benefit of another. Show me how to encourage and build others up in Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we encourage and build each other up in You. Amen.

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

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. – Job 8:21