I have always loved the simple discipline of notetaking, whether during my own Bible study or while listening to my pastor’s sermons. Writing has been a way for me to process God’s Word, and hold on to the truths that shape my life. Over the years, I filled three whole folders with handwritten notes on the book of Genesis.
To anyone else, these pages might just look like stacks of paper, but to me, they are priceless treasures. Reminders of how God has spoken to me through His Word.
A Loss That Became a Treasure
That treasure feels even greater now, because essential tremor has slowly taken from me the ability to write. Something as simple as signing my name legibly is no longer possible. What I once did without thought has become an impossibility. And yet, this loss has deepened my gratitude for the pages I was able to fill before my hands betrayed me.
Holding on to Hope
In the weeks ahead, I will begin a series of injections in my wrists and forearms, praying they will provide some measure of relief. If God grants improvement, I will rejoice with deep gratitude. But even if He does not, I rest in this truth: God is sovereign over my life and even over this tremor. His providence is not diminished by my weakness, nor is His power hindered by what I cannot do.
Paul’s testimony has become all the more precious to me:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9
If God chooses to leave this trembling in my hands, then may it serve as a visible element of my faith, a testimony that even when my body is unsteady, my hope is firmly rooted in Him.
A Lasting Word
These folders of notes remind me of a greater truth: though my handwriting may fail, the Word of God never fades. The ink on those pages may be shaky, but the promises they point to stand unshaken. And so I continue to trust the One who holds me, and my trembling hands, in His sovereign and faithful care.
Lord, I thank You that even in weakness, Your strength is made known. I surrender my trembling hands to You and ask that my life, unsteady as it may seem, would be a testimony of steady faith in a sovereign God. May others see not my frailty, but Your sufficiency. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Debbie Swindell 
One response to “The Notes I Cannot Write, and the Word That Cannot Fail”
Debbie thanks so much for sharing this. Please know that even though you can’t write right now, your faith in the midst of this trial and the hope you have and give , gives a wonderful message that we may not have seen otherwise. I am praying for you friend. With love and thanks.
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