I am thankful for being able to chop tomatoes.
(bear with me here).
That's because two years ago, I couldn't do it, not without a lot of pain in my hands. But the other night as I chopped up some tomatoes to have with some chicken fajitas, I was reminded of what all Gods taken me through and how thankful I am.
In the Fall of 2008, I began to realize that how I felt every day was not normal, and that I was living with all kinds of pain in my body that I had honestly just come to accept. I had quite a few other health issues prior to this, so I seriously just thought I was doomed to live with a "bad" body. Without giving you the many details, the pain started literally clouding my thinking and my mind...so after a bunch of testing and praying and hoping and crying, finally in January (2009), I was diagnosed by a specialist as having Fibromyalgia. Yes, that's the one you see commercials on TV about all the time..the stories of people who aren't able to function much throughout the day because of constant nagging pain.
Well...that was me. Was.
I could write for days about the process of the Lord restoring me back to health. The story of Him delivering me and healing me. It is truly a miraculous story and I will definately share more details about it at another time. This particluar post is not meant to be a about my health problems or even about how He healed me, though I cannot wait to share those stories with you whenever He leads me to. (I no longer live in pain!) But for now I just want to remind myself, and you, if you need to hear it today, that He is a God of RESTORATION.
We see it all over in the scriptures, and I think as believers we recognize that there is restoration to Him as our Father through salvation...but we forget to remember that He restores us daily, and by the seasons.
He gives back what the enemy has stolen. He restores what the locusts have eaten. He has LIFE for us. He may take us through fire of many kinds, but He always has a heart to refine and RESTORE us.
If you dont know us well, or really know our story, Ill tell you that it is a story of restoration, but it has come with alot of things that have needed to be restored, either because our enemy has stolen what God meant for good, or because God's grace allowed us to walk through suffering so that we would understand His character more.
His promise of restoration has taught us about TRUSTING Him to restore us...believing that He will. Believing HIM. With our health, our finances, our marriage, our family.
But he has ALWAYS provided, protected and restored. We are still in the midst of Him restoring alot of things (in the physical and spiritual), but I am so thankful that its one of His virtues and pleasures as my Father.
1I will exalt you, LORD, for you rescued me.
You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
2O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,and you restored my health.
3You brought me up from the grave,a O LORD.
You kept me from falling into the pit of death.
4Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.
5For his anger lasts only a moment,but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,but joy comes with the morning.
6When I was prosperous, I said,“Nothing can stop me now!”
7Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain.
Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.
8I cried out to you, O LORD.I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,
9“What will you gain if I die,if I sink into the grave?
Can my dust praise you?Can it tell of your faithfulness?
10Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me.
Help me, O LORD.”
11You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
12that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
Psalm 30
