Yay for the return of Big Word Wednesday!
Restoration
- the restoring of something that was removed
- the restoring of something to an earlier and usually better condition
Restore
- to return something to its proper owner or place
- to bring something back to an earlier or better condition
- to give somebody new strength and vigour
- to re-establish or put back something that was once there but is no longer
Life can be a mixed bag. Sometimes things are great. Sometimes they’re not. Sometimes we love who we are and how we are. Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we can understand and see God working in us. Sometime we can’t.
In our humanness we cope, we survive, we deal with life by putting up barriers and building walls. Or we give of ourselves and loose parts of who we are in our search for acceptance, for love, for belonging.
We get to a point where we are beaten, broken, crumbling and generally just a wreck. We plaster over the cracks so no one will see our mess. We put another wall up to keep the brokenness private and inside. We retreat from being our whole self into occupying just a corner or who we were created to be.
I love the programme Grand Designs. My favourite episodes aren’t those where people have crazy, wild ideas for new, innovative, space-age houses. But those where they take an old wreck, a dilapidated chaos of what was once a structure. And they lovingly bring it back to life so they can live there. They take the time and care to understand the building, to understand the original structure and its uniqueness. They bring about restoration by removing things that shouldn’t be there. They replace details that should be there. They reveal the original beauty of the building, and in doing so allow themselves and others to fall in love with it even more.
Although I don’t always see it, I was created as a beautiful temple. In my weakness I have put up walls to help give me strength. In my insecurities I have closed doors and covered details to keep things hidden. In my faithlessness I have become broken and cracked.
I need restoration. I need a restorer.
I need a God that will be my strength when I am weak. I need a God that will see my unique details and reveal them. I need a God that will heal my brokenness and renew my faith.
In what ways have you tried to alter your original structure? What walls have you put up? What doors have you closed? Where are you broken and cracked?
What dreams have you hidden? What treasures have you allowed people to take away? What mess are you trying to cover?
Will you allow the God who created you and understands you to take time and care over you? Will you allow Him to remove the things that shouldn’t be there? Will you allow Him to replace and reinstate the details and the dreams that should be there? Will you allow Him to bring you back to life so He can live in you? Will you allow yourself to undergo a restoration?
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