The Beauty of Restoration
What is restoration: Restoration is described as God’s promise to renew, heal and/or bring back something that was once broken or lost.
As I reflect on my childhood and the many heartbreaks and disappointments that I experienced with people; never did I EVER think certain relationships in my life would be restored. Spending majority of my childhood in foster care and being shuffled to over 10 foster homes throughout my 12 years; my heart had been hardened. My heart had hardened towards my parents specifically. My emotions that started out as hurt and heartache turned into anger and resentment. During the beginning months, after I was abruptly thrusted into foster care, I had hopes and dreams of being reunited with my parents. However, those hopes and dreams begun to fade away quickly. The broken promises and missed visits turned my hopes and dreams into hurt and heartache. Not only was I crushed, but I also felt unwanted. What was it about me that made my parents not want me. Why didn’t they choose me? As thoughts like these begun to fill my mind. The hurt and heartache that I had once felt turned in anger and resentment. I held onto that anger and resentment for YEARS!
Around the age of 22 my perspective begun to change. A few months before my 22nd birthday my cousin invited me to attend church with her. From the first Sunday I attended church, I knew I had to change the way I was living. That Sunday I truly dedicated my life to Christ and received salvation. My world begun to change instantly. The things I was doing and involved in I didn’t want to participate in anymore. I didn’t want to drink. I didn’t want to go clubbing. I didn’t want to hang with certain friend groups. After a few months of attending church, serving and developing new friends, there was still something missing. It was at this time, that I knew that my next step was FORGIVENESS. There were people of my past that I needed to release from my heart and forgive. Matthew 6:14 tells us “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Forgiving people of my past was no longer an option; it was a requirement. Yes, the people that hurt me and did injustices to me. Yes, those people are the people I needed to forgive. This is where the restoration begun. God begun restoring relationships in my life with my family once I decided to walk in forgiveness. Two of those relationships consistent of my parents. The Lord begun to soften my heart and allow me to the freedom to forgive. Hear my clearly, this did NOT happen overnight. I had to make the decision EVERYDAY to forgive. You see the enemy always want to remind you of the injustice someone has done to you in order to keep you in the state of unforgiveness. However, I did not let that keep me from consistently choosing to let go of the past and making forgiveness a daily part of life decisions. Notice I didn’t say forgive and forget because we can never forget. Honestly, I don’t want to forget. I love to look back and see the growth and see how far the Lord has brought me. I went from not talking to my parents for YEARS to talking to my mom EVERYDAY (she’s one of my little friends now lol) and talking to my dad at least 2-4 times a week. The Lord has truly restored our relationship and I am so grateful for it.
Not every relationship will be restored. Some relationships you just need to forgive people and move on. However, the relationships that God brings restoration to; don’t fight it. Open your heart and mind to the idea of restoration and most importantly be led by the Holy Spirit on the steps to take in restoring those relationships. Also, know that both parties involved has to want the relationship. If the other person doesn’t want to reconnect then pray that in God’s timing, He will bring the relationship to fulfilment or if it is not the relationship for you then pray that God will bring the right relationships into your life. Every relationship we have in our lives either helps brighten the light on the inside of us or it dims the light on the inside of us. Make sure that the relationships that you have helps brighten your light so you can continue to be the light. Remember to take daily steps to become the light you were created to be.
