Restoration Hardware

"This is the redeeming power of God through Jesus Christ. When we finally come to 

the end ourselves and give God the broken pieces, He can make us whole."

Kyle Idleman, The End of Me

If you have kids and they come to you with a broken toy, when it's possible, you fix it. The most amount of time they need to wait for it is the time it takes the glue to dry, assuming it wasn't something that just popped out and needs popped back in to place. And once it's fixed, the tears dry and they go back to what they were doing. But when they grow up and see the reality that not everything can be fixed, that's hard to accept.

So many of us make mistakes we desperately want to take back or get a do-over. We say things we can't unsay, see things we can't unsee, or do things we can't undo. We want to fix them, but it's just not possible. However, because of Jesus, everything we can't fix, can be redeemed. Granted it most likely isn't going back to its original state of being, but if Jesus has His hands on it, it's still going to turn out beautiful. Where it gets difficult is the time it takes.

Unlike when a grown up fixes a broken toy, when Jesus is making us whole again, it takes a longer time. We can see and feel evidence of the restoration process, but we want it done so much faster than He is working. And why? Because it feels good. We may not like that it's needed, and it might even be a little uncomfortabe at times, but seeing and feeling things working again, makes it worthwhile. And that little glimmer of hope makes us want it sooner rather than later.

But I think that's the beauty of the process. It makes us want it more and more because it gives us back the hope we've probably misplaced or misapplied to a quick fix that didn't hold up over time. We see how far we've come and suddenly we are determined to make it beyond the goal we set to see just how much farther we can go. And through it all we end up more sold out for Jesus than we thought was possible.

As I've been going through this over the last several months, I heard a sermon over the weekend that gave me just the encouragement I needed to realize I am headed somewhere, and it's somewhere good. I can't label it, I can't define it, and I certainly don't know where it is. What I do know is that God has gone before me, He's bringing me up from behind, and He's there waiting for me to arrive. And the best part is, He's doing the same thing for you. He loves us all entirely too much to leave us where we are. 

I pray that I have finally given Him all the broken pieces so that the restoration process is uninhibited. I pray that He would reveal anything I am still holding on to that would halt forward progress. And I pray for you: if you haven't started on the road back home, I pray that you would put one foot out there and take that first step. Because when we finally come to the end of ourselves and give God the broken pieces, He can make us whole.

Jesus, every day when You are with me on my walk and I hear Natalie Grant sing of you restoring me piece by piece, I think of all the progress You have made. I praise You for not only being willing and for never giving up on me, but for being so gentle and patient while I gathered up the pieces I was finally ready to hand over. I know that what You've started You will see through to completion in Your perfect timing. And in the end, I will proclaim among the nations all You have done. Amen.