He Grants Us His Rest

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – (Matthew 11:28, HCSB)

“Come to Me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” – (Matthew 11:28, ERV)

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, NLT)

God’s timing is perfect. Our need for rest does not escape Him. The six or so weeks between the New Year and this lovely long weekend, have seemed more like six months. Between being busy and the ongoing navigation of teaching and coaching in a pandemic, the weight of the last many weeks has taken its toll. In anticipation of the much-needed rest, I did some research and found a great AirbNb for a long weekend escape. It is in a small quiet town, right on the beach, and the weather is forecast to be rainy and gray. The combination of these things are promoters of rest. I anticipate lazy, leisurely mornings, relaxing days and restful nights. For both my love and me, it is exactly what we are needing together. The provision of time and resources to get away are an answer to prayer. May we ever seek the Lord to help us lay down our burdens and find rest in Him. 

Choose turn to Jesus,

When weary and worn;

He grants us His rest,

As new strength is born.

For in Him there’s peace,

He knows what is best;

To refresh our hearts,

And give our souls rest.

Lead us Lord Jesus,

To find rest in You;

Lighten the burdens,

As love’s what You do.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we come to You with our heaviness and weariness, You provide spaces and time for rest. Thank You for Your kindness and love that lightens our load and grants us the rest and refreshment we need. Forgive us for the times that we neglect to come to You, for You are faithful to meet us as we come to You and supply what we need most. Teach us to trust and rely on You always. Show us how to love well, so that those around us are blessed and refreshed too. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You for rest and praise You for Your provision. Amen.

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

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

To Wait in Hope

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. – (Psalm 33:20, NIV)

So we will wait for the Lord. He helps us and protects us. – (Psalm 33:20, ERV)

The Lord alone is our radiant hope and we trust in Him with all our hearts. His wrap-around presence will strengthen us. – (Psalm 33:20, TPT)

 

This is the time where I have to dig in and wait in hope all the more for God to be my help and my shield. As my time with my husband and my brief time at home with my boys this evening will be drawing to a close as I return to my mom in Wenatchee tomorrow morning, I have to place my heart and my trust in Him. Each time I leave my family, I am a bit more gutted than the last; not because I am going to my mom, as I love the time with mom and am grateful to be able to be with her and help her, but rather because I have been away from my husband and children for far too long, and it is taking its toll on all of us. Each of us knew the cost when we decided as a family that my being with mom was the best choice, but as the end date is drawing near, closure and next steps are needed. That being said, we need the Lord to orchestrate the details for mom’s time and care in Oregon. There is much to consider and many things that must be in place, prior to moving mom seven hours from her home for a season.

As for mom, prayers were answered last night, for she slept far better, with a five-hour consecutive stretch in the night. She had a great day and enjoyed a couple of great visits with some of her dearest friends both during the afternoon and again in the evening. I imagine that the extra stimulus contributed positively to her stellar sleep. Today includes both occupational therapy and speech therapy on the agenda. Both are great for taxing the body and mind, and will hopefully aid in another great night of sleep. Tomorrow will be transition day, as Megan will make the long drive back to Oregon, and I will return from my home west of the mountains. It sounds as if we will not actually see one another in the switch, as a dear friend will likely stay with mom during the gap. Please continue to pray with us for every detail of mom’s care in Oregon to fall into place, so that the transition will be smooth and timely. Ideally, there will be little to no gap in therapy appointments, to maximize mom’s continued progress. Though we cannot fathom how all of this will come to fruition, God can.

 

We wait on the Lord,

In hope, love and trust;

For He is faithful,

And forever just.

He knows all our needs,

Each cry of our heart;

He answers in ways,

As faith, He imparts.

So, trust in the Lord,

Even when it’s tough;

His grace is greater,

And blessings, enough.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we wait on You, You help us and protect us. Thank You that You provide all that we need, as it is needed. Forgive us for our fears and doubts, especially when we cannot conceive a way for things to work out. Teach us to trust You more, as You are so much greater than our doubts and our lack of vision beyond what our mere eyes can see. Show us how to love those around us through the struggles and doubts, and encourage one another to trust in Your goodness and love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You; our help and shield forever. Amen.

 

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

 

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. – Psalm 27:14

Trust for Transition

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. – (Romans 15:13, NLT)

I pray that God, the source of all hope, will infuse your lives with an abundance of joy and peace in the midst of your faith so that your hope will overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit. – (Romans 15:13, VOICE)

Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with His super-abundance until you radiate with hope! – (Romans 15:13, TPT)

 

Yesterday was a transition day for me. As I traveled from west to east, my heart was full of hope and excited anticipation to see mom, as I could not wait to witness the positive gains she has made in my time away. Upon my arrival, she was happily visiting with a dear friend. Though there was a gap between when my sister had gone home and I had arrived, we both were at peace, thanks to a few of her sweet, sister-like friends. As soon as her friend had gone, mom confessed that she was exhausted. It had been an extraordinarily long week, and I think having a few different people with her, for more than a brief time without one of us present, had taken a toll on her. With us, she knows that she can say or do anything, and we can read her body language and facial expressions – so little effort is required. This is why the number of visitors currently allowed is extraordinarily limited right now. (per her request) She is doing amazingly well, but I imagine there are insecurities and anxieties about finding the right words with those she doesn’t talk to daily. I am certain that much of her desire to wait to see people, has much to do with this, and my sister and I are doing everything we can to safeguard and protect mom’s wishes. It does not matter if those wanting to visit are not bothered by her struggle for finding words; if it bothers her and she does not want to share the struggle with others yet, we will honor our mother. Period. For those who have been incredibly gracious in the waiting, thank you.

As for the fountain of hope and uncontainable joy, I am seeing God fill mom with fresh hope and joy, every single day. Though her right hand is still not cooperating as she would like, she no longer hides it under a pillow on her lap, but rather she stretches it out with her other hand, holds onto it, recognizes it, and continues to send signals to tell it to move. She is hopeful, and does have feeling, so we trust that it is simply a matter of time. Peace in the waiting is clearly present. Most shifts, mom manages to have the kindest and most experienced charge nurse assigned to her. My guess is that they argue about who gets to work with her, as she is always smiling, gracious, grateful, and appreciative of all that they do to help with her healing.

The next week and a half are going to be pivotal for all of us, as we have some critical decisions to make about where mom ought to be next, in the transition. We are not sure yet as to whether to be at her house, Meg’s house, or mine, as much will depend on insurance, available therapies, accessibility, and of course, what mom wants. Obviously, we want what is very best for mom in this season as she continues to gain strength and heal. She will not be ready to live alone, nor would we want her to do so, even if she were. Please join us in praying for wisdom and direction to be made abundantly clear. Not our will, but His.

 

Let the Lord of hope,

Fill you with all joy;

For His perfect peace,

All doubt does destroy.

Choose trust in the One,

Whose power and grace;

Surround and indwell,

Abound in your space.

His filling’s so great,

We too, overflow;

Radiate His hope,

So others may know.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we seek You, You fill us completely with joy and peace, as we trust in You. Thank You that You fill us to overflowing with confident hope, by the power of Your Holy Spirit within us. Forgive us for fearing the unknown, or being anxious about that which we cannot control. Teach us to trust all in Your hands. Show us how to listen for Your voice and to walk in the way that You lead. Direct our every step, O God. Lead us to love those around us in a way that demonstrates the joy and peace that are found through hope held in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we place all of our trust in Your hands. Amen.

 

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

 

Those who know Your Name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You. – Psalm 9:10

Worship Anyway

Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped. – (Job 1:20, MSG)

When Job heard this, he got up, tore his clothes, and shaved his head to show his sadness. Then he fell to the ground to bow down before God. – (Job 1:20, ERV)

Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. – (Job 1:20, NLT)

 

A few days ago, I passed the one-month mark with my back injury. Typically, I am extraordinarily active, and I participate in high impact workouts at least six days per week. In order for my compression fracture to heal, I was instructed to do no high impact activities. This has left me with few options, and the lack of adrenaline and endorphins released from merely walking, seem to be taking its toll. I am weary, restless, and fighting the darkness that tries to pull me down. The only thing that has kept me somewhat sane in this state of waiting, is an abundance of walking, encouraging friends, and the turning up of my worship music and singing along with all that I am.

This morning, as I read about Job and all of the horrible loss that he endured, as well as how he responded, I am again reminded of what matters most, and how to best combat the fear and frustration. Worship does wonders. As we remove our focus from ourselves and our own situations, and instead fix our eyes and hearts on Him who deserves all of our attention, something shifts and the unbearable becomes bearable. Our burdens are no longer ours alone, and we see Him who is seated on the throne. God who is worthy of all of our worship, is the only One who can see us through our storms. May we mourn what need be mourned, then, despite our sorrow, set our hearts to worship the One who will carry us until our strength is renewed. Let every heart lift praise to our Prince of Peace.

 

When all’s going wrong,

The struggle is new;

There’s one place to turn,

Where Love sees us through.

The Lord is our strength,

No matter our state;

As we choose worship,

His love lifts the weight.

He helps bear burdens,

Too heavy for us;

Shines light in darkness,

Grants peace through Jesus.

Despite the struggle,

God is always good;

Let us choose worship,

His grace understood.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are always good and worthy of our worship. Thank You that despite what we have going on in or around us, You are with us and willing to remain present. Forgive us for allowing our circumstances to dictate our view of You, rather than allow You to shape our view of what is going on in and around us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You and worship You in all things and at all times. Show us how to worship You in spite of what we see, and lead us to love others in such a way, that they too may see how kind and loving You are to all who seek You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we mourn what need be mourned, but recognize in all things, that You deserve our worship. Amen.

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

For the Lord your God will bless you, …and your joy will be complete. – Deuteronomy 16:15

God Within Her

I have been in a seemingly long and wearying season. This is my busiest time of year, and the constant chaos tends to take its toll. God is ALWAYS faithful to meet me each morning, and His strength and grace sustain me through my days. That being said, the very thought of this day, is a bit overwhelming. After such a long week, I am ready to fast forward to the weekend. As I read my scheduled reading plan, there was really nothing that was standing out. My typical default in such times, is to turn to the Psalms. No sooner had I turned back the pages, did the following verse stand out as if it were in bold type: God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. – (Psalm 46:5)

 

Today, I will hold fast to this word, for He is within me and will not allow me to fall. He is with me as I rise, and remains present wherever I go. The Lord is my strength and my song, even in chaos and weariness. It never ceases to amaze me how He chooses to remind us just how much He loves us. Even as I look back over this past week, I am in awe at having received several texts from friends that were very encouraging; some of which were from friends who had no idea that the week had been such a crazy busy one. Just as He is with me, keeping me from falling, so too, is He with you. He is our help and our hope from the moment we rise to when we close our eyes, at our day’s end. May we each hold fast to the promise of His faithful presence, and trust in His unfailing love.

 

The Lord is present,

He’ll not let us fall;

from when we first rise,

He stays through it all.

God is ever near,

no matter what comes;

from the break of day,

to the setting sun.

His strength is enough,

to trust for today;

embrace what is true,

let Christ lead the way.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we place our trust in You, You are within us and will keep us from falling. Thank You that You are our ever present help, from the break of day to the setting sun. Thank You that there is no limit to Your goodness and faithfulness. Forgive us for forgetting that all of the strength that we need dwells within us, in You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will rely on You and Your provision for all that we need each day. Help us to live and love in such a way, that others come to know Your love and faithfulness. Be glorified O God, as we go forth in Your strength, remembering that You are within us, providing what we need for this day. Amen.

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

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, You who have done great things.  Who, O God, is like You? – Psalm 71:19