His restoration

In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22 AMP

This morning I find myself reflecting on the restoration God has bought into our lives, especially over these last eight months. 

It is with tears I think about those hours and hours in hospital and what our daughter went through, along with all the other children in there. 

For me, in those years, I found my world and purpose narrowed as I focused completely on getting through that appointment, that treatment, that night.  There was little space emotionally or physically to consider anything outside of that circumstance. It was extremely challenging for me when I was used to being so fully involved in life, with many connections in different places, to suddenly be essentially constrained out of sheer necessity. 

The fellowship with one another all but disappeared except for the core one or two people in my life. Resentment crept in. Continually I had to take that resentment to God and ask Him to help keep my spirit sweet.

So what a joy it has been over the past eight months to see restoration in this area of our lives. For me, I love people, I love being involved in people's lives, bringing encouragement, helping them to look for God in all that is going on in their lives. And over the past eight months God has graciously restored the emotional and physical resources to enable me to do more and more of that. 

But He has done more than restore it, unbeknown to me, in these past five and a half years He has re-built me. The way that I love people and encourage now is different, it comes out of heart that has been broken and glued back together with God's perfect love. A heart that is still not perfect, but filled with a lot more grace than before.  What a blessing to my soul.

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteous, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3 AMP

So why am I sharing this today? I don't really know, it is just what the Holy Spirit has led me to do. I am praying that what I have shared will bring hope to anyone reading this who has had challenging times in their lives and are waiting and believing for God's restoration. 

We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 AMP