Less Hidden

This post is by Jen Shultz.

My life is full of moments that make me think, why didn’t anyone tell me that? When I was expecting my first child, in the purest form of naivety, I counted out nine months to guess when the baby would arrive only to be told at my first OB appointment that it is actually ten months. Fast forward about 25 years and in that same hopeful form of naivety, I thought ringing the bell when finishing my cancer treatment meant life would go back to “normal”. The very real truth is that normal is subjective and cancer is the gift that keeps on giving (says the Survivor, tongue in cheek). That journey was hard fought, and I am so thankful to say that while I will be on medication the rest of my life, I am currently cancer free. But that does not mean that cancer freed me. I am working to rebuild what those months, medications, and surgeries took from me. It hits me in the deepest ways in a faith that has carried me through so many trials. It also hits me in small ways with things like food not tasting right and a constant battle with remembering things.

While I know that most people who read this will blessedly not have to battle in the ways that I have, many of us struggle with memory—be it because of age, being overly scheduled and at wits end, or even just not being something one is good at. Let me be the first to tell you, when there is a will, there is a way. That way make look different than it does for others or even different than it has in the past for us. That is ok. What about our lives is not in a constant state of change? So, how does memorization look these days?

Different, that is the best I can describe my methods of memorization. I have to have repetition and I have to have a variety of exposures—small things like a sticky note on my mirror or a verse written in my daily planner. Medium things like searching out songs that connect with the verse I am trying to memorize because I know that if it is set to music, my brain will hold on to it. And even big things like digging deep into the verse to expand my understanding because I know that I am more likely to remember it if I form a personal connection to it. These may seem obvious to some, but it was a new path for me. Creative outlets such as journaling or drawing might be your place of connection. Perhaps it is found while in prayer or in silence somewhere. It could even be a stillness inside of you while the world rages on around you. 

These moments, songs, imprints are all ways that God finds for us to connect to Him. Be still long enough to feel pulled in the direction of God. Find your keys that unlock the doors. The way you learn to hide these verses in your heart may be less hidden these days, but like so many hard things, it is worth the effort!

Jen is a small town, Oklahoma girl married to a superhero. Together, they are raising a family on second chances, shiplap, and a shoestring. She is a firm believer in grace, organization, and efficiency. She finds great satisfaction in taking broken items and giving them new life, likely because that is exactly what God did for her. She over uses the word shine, exclamation points, and emojis. Jen calls her children her greatest accomplishments. A natural born encourager and armchair warrior, she is learning to redefine her mission field and make the most of each day she is given. She has recently been promoted from breast cancer warrior to breast cancer survivor. She’s chronically ill and chronically positive—not necessarily in that order. She is learning to practice perseverance over perfection and longs for the day she gets to see her grandparents and Jesus’ face. Until then, she is just looking for Grace in the Grind.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash