S4 Episode #8- Reem Grammatico
THE ONE WITH REEM GRAMMATICO
Reem, being the 4th of 5 children born into an Arab-Christian family, learned the importance of faith and family from a young age. Born in Amman, Jordan but raised in Portland, Oregon, Reem graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Oregon. She started her career in Public Accounting but transitioned to working in the Utilities industry after moving to Charlotte, NC.
In addition to having a fulfilling career, she serves on the board of the Justice Project, International and is a member at the Refuge Church in Kannapolis, NC. Her hobbies include music, drinking coffee, eating at new restaurants, and most importantly, spending time with her family.
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Reem was born in Jordan, and moved to Portland, OR as a baby. She is part of a big Arab, Christian family. In Middle School, Reem’s older sister came to know the Lord, and at age 14, Reem had an encounter with The Holy Spirit and accepted Christ as her Savior.
For much of her young adult life, she was not talking closely with The Lord. God had to remove her from the Pacific Northwest in order to remove the distractions that were keeping her far from Him. Through a season of loneliness, she developed deeper intimacy with the Lord.
Identity
How do you walk through the loss of what you had previously placed your identity/security in?
Proverbs 3:5-6
“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.”
God is faithful. If your identity is being shaken, The Lord will make your path straight. You may not understand it, but The Lord is a redeemer and nothing will be wasted. Every part of your story can be used for your good and His glory.
Lean in to the truth of God’s character. Sometimes we need to be stripped of who we thought we were in order to build up our true identity in Christ– you are a heir and co-heir with Christ! There is great power that comes with this… you can go before The Lord with your requests.
The Lord, Our Defender
Last year, Reem’s husband and son fell down the steps, leading to an injury to her son’s head. They are both ok, but the doctors in the hospital accused Reem and Ryan of shaking their baby. A criminal investigation was opened and they were not allowed to be alone with their son. They fought the charges and their name was cleared… but the fear and grief that this caused made Reem and Ryan desperate for The Lord.
Throughout the investigation, the detectives were collecting character references for both Reem and Ryan to see what kind of people/parents they were.
At the end of your life, what fruit will you have to show? In what ways does your life show that Jesus was your Lord?
Ryan and Reem had to fight for their child, but how much more does The Lord fight on our behalf? There is great comfort in knowing that God is our defender. He will fight for us, we need only to be still and rest in Him.
God is good every step of the way. He has brought you this far and He will not leave you now. It is always better to operate out of His will, then to go at it on our own.
Letting Go of Fear and Anxiety
We can often make decisions out of a place of fear, but that is not what God has called us to.
1 John 4:8
“There is no fear in love, and perfect love drives out fear.”
Wherever there is fear or anxiety, that is not from The Lord. If you are feeling consumed by fear/anxiety, spend time in worship or prayer– even if it is just in quick moments over dirty diapers, it will help to reframe your perspective. The fruits of the Spirit are always available to us as believers, so we must claim them and walk in them.
A Word about Singleness
Do not wish this season away. The Lord is teaching you something, and you will never get this time back. There is a certain level of intimacy with The Lord that is available to you right now, and it is so precious.
Try giving up all control. Surrender every desire of your heart and ask The Lord what is on His heart and His mind. See what The Lord reveals to you.
Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself in The Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
God has something for you in every new season that He takes you.
The Justice Project, International
Reem’s sister and brother-in-law started this anti-human trafficking organization in Germany.
Learn more by visiting their website!
Final Thoughts
The lord sees you exactly where you are and nothing surprises Him! He is our PaPa and he wants you to some to Him with every hurt and broken heart.
Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is near to the broken-hearted.”
As daughters and sons, the Creator of the Universe loves you SO MUCH! He says, “Come child, sit on my lap, let me hold you.”
Let the Lord reveal things to you through His word. Read what His word says. When something strikes you, stop reading and meditate on that word. Let it speak to your heart.
When we are still before the Lord, you will hear from your Father. He wants to speak to us! We have so much authority as co-heirs with Christ. We need to embrace the truth of who we are. You are not the sum of your past mistakes. You are not your diagnosis. You are not your illness. You are not who someone else says you are.
You are who the Lord says you are! There is tremendous freedom and healing in that!
WATCH
Sadly we don’t have a video this week! We hope to be back up and running next week!
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The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes Biondo and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.