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
Revelations In Writing 