You and you alone, are the restorer

This week I have been humbled! It hurts! The flesh wants to live, boy, does it ever! This is the crazy part knowing that no matter what is right and what is wrong; it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that healing takes place and only Jesus can lead in that. There are these few moments we get to share life with people. I mean God says our lives are like a vapor (James 4:14). I don’t know about you but have you seen a mist? I mean it’s there then poof it is gone!

Sometimes, we have just to choose to love when it is hard. We have to allow that spirit of religion and tradition to lay down and let Christ prevail entirely. I know in my ability, I do not have what it takes to love correctly. I have fought all week with my decision. I see God confirmed and I know this is His will. I’ve known that for two years I have been on His shoulders healing from a deep hurt. I know I am relieved and ready. The problem with this is while I was recovering many took it as abandoning. I am not asking for anyone to understand and I know what it looked like, and frankly, I did jump ship. That is so hard for me to say but, it is the truth. I did thoroughly and utterly fail miserably, and when the enemy saw fit to attack, he did. I did not know that it would be so brutal. I underestimated my enemy. I did fight, and by no means was I a babe in Christ. I just was a babe in Christ when it came to spiritual warfare. God, had no choice but to teach me on a field trip of sorts.

I want to speak to those who are wounded right now. I want to acknowledge your hurt and pain in whatever capacity that may be in. Lord, help me to say this without the spirit of offense taking over and them leaving feeling as if someone else just diminished their pain and hurt. I do not want to do that. I know from my past and current situation we will always have a form of wounds. Some will remind us often of our brokenness and others will fade as we mature and we realize no matter what God is with us, and He loves us with a love that we can not fathom. I know everything that I endure, pursue, and engage there is always a risk.

The risk of rejection, hate, coldness, betrayal but, there is always a high reward for forgiveness, mercy, love, compassion, help, and relationship. I know, ‘where you are in the process’ does influence your perception. Being on the other side of a season of being out to sea I have come to this.

When we face a battle, and it seems that we have lost and, we are counted out, discredited, maybe even feel robbed. God can often restore everything if we allow Him to repair. Key is we have to surrender.

There are so many different kinds of restoration that it would take me all day to hit every point. Sometimes, that recovery comes full circle, and you and the other person can walk hand in hand. Sometimes, that restoration only comes with you on one side, Christ in the middle, and the other party on the other side but, still, there is peace. You can not walk together right without Christ in any relationship; without it ending up like a battleship. Abandon and desolate with no signs of a crew or captain; underwater, alone and at the bottom of the sea.

My point is no matter what kind of restoration occurs it is always Christ that is in charge of it, and He knows what is best for you, and He knows what is best for the other party. We need to get that down deep in our minds, hearts, and souls. ( I will repeat that and then wait for that to hit your heart) Restoration in relationships is not our responsibility; Christ is solely responsible for the repair of our relationships. We can not force it, We can not want it and have it in our time. It will come when and as He see’s fit.

For, my friends that are in hopes and waiting for that miracle of restoration with a loved one or just with a fellow brother or sister in Christ or a wayward child. I know you desire it so, and don’t you dare lose hope, keep praying and asking God for His will to be done. God is a God of restoration, and He desires for there to always be restoration, especially to reconcile one back to Him. This is the amazing thing about grace! Amen!

This is God’s heart toward every man, woman, and child! That their souls would be restored back into the hands that knit and weaved their flesh together. Wonderfully and carefully in the hidden place of their mother’s womb. But as you know different kinds of restoration go way beyond our understanding.

In my life, I have often questioned: “Why Lord?” “Why can’t I be around and in their lives anymore?” “Why am I willing and they are not?”, These are all brilliant questions to ask God, but even though we pray, we should respect the fact of God’s answer. Even if it is not what we are looking to hear. I know this is hard; that is why I am writing about it today. I want for just a moment in all your wondering and questioning if you could only see it from His perspective. Like I said this might not apply to you but, if it does then, please hear me out.

When people chose to allow the flesh to overcome (on both sides), there is always extensive damage. I am sure you all have experienced this on some level. I would like to for a moment just say putting the option to be on the right to the side and setting the same possibility of being wrong to the same side, only allow the situation to be. For a minute just imagine the Lord seeing no wrong and no right here ( I know crazy idea right. I promise there is a point) Just imagine seeing two people who He genuinely loves; hurt. In ways only they have expressed to Him; both injuries are valid and painful to hear. He has to ability to see in the future. He knows after an amount of time passes, healing and, lessons must be learned apart from one another. Because, if they remain together they will only see the conflict of their flesh and fail to see the faithfulness of God through their weakness and frailty and keep repeating the same cycle. Looping the same sequence of destruction without any signs of getting off the hamster wheel of self-torture and self-pain.  After the separation, only He knows when it is the exact right moment for two hearts to be reconciled; He is aware of their hearts and minds and souls.

So, the Lord is sovereign and only good, and He hold’s no ability to lie or deceive (1 John 1:5). You see this is God’s and only God’s expertise and knowledge in our relationship’s. He is the God of timing. He is the God of restoration and love. He is what heals the world of sin and gives us hope and life (John 3:16). He sees all and know’s all (Hebrews 4:13, Psalm 33:13) and believe me He knows how to restore’s (Psalm 23:3). He is in the process of rebuilding all of us; we are all in this together. We must learn and trust Him in all things! Even with the painful and ugly stuff that we bury and hide. He promises if we follow Him that He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He vows to give you beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3), He promises to provide you with a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11) just like He promised Israel, He promises that by His stripes we are healed spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally (Isaiah53:5). He pledges to rebuild the desolate places and the ruins of your life even the areas that have long been devastated even the ones that have been destroyed for generations (Isaiah 61:4). He says He will keep you in perfect peace as long as your mind is steadfastly upon Jesus because you trust Him (Isaiah 26:3) He vows to redeem all parts of you if you believe upon the name of Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin. Probably, my favorite is “Though the mountains are shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has had compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10) Those are just a few promises, and I will tell you this these are the promises for everyone if they will only believe in their hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and ask Him to come in your heart to do precisely what His word say’s He came to do through Jesus Christ.

I am praying for you, and I am praying that God would do a mighty work in your life! He has mine! I am a stinking miracle! I am forever grateful that nowhere in the Bible says:”He gives up!!” The whole theme of the Bible is His Faithfulness and His story of redemption! Praise God! Never forget He is the keeper of our heart’s, He is the lifter of our heads, and most of all when we slip and stumble in our humanity; He is always faithful and true. ❤