Restoration Projects

When winds howl at 95 mph and storms rage, damage is inevitable. Lucky people may escape with mere brush to pick up. Others are left with gaping holes in their homes’ infrastructure or worse, no home at all.

Imagine if your hometown is declared a national disaster zone by the President of the United States.

News teams swarm in donned in their galoshes, rain-gear, and microphones in hand.  Everyone makes the assumption that the President will make a speech empathizing with the community, promising to send aid to restore what the hurricane destroyed, and recognizing with understanding some valuables cannot be replaced. “National aid is sure to come,” think all watching.

Consider their surprise when the President walks by the cameras and outstretched microphones and boards Air Force One with a wave and a smile. He leans over to his press secretary instructing him to tell the people they can attend his next press conference. “I want to put this disaster behind us and forget it ever happened.”

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What? Forget 95 mph winds blew through and crushed everything in their path? “Come on”, you think, “I am not the President, but even I know it is impossible to act as though this hurricane never happened.”

It is the same way in our lives when families have a blow up of any size. Regardless of who started or finished the argument. It is impossible to merely sweep hurts and memories under the rug and avoid restorative reconciliation.

Yes, forgiveness on our part, even unsought forgiveness, is necessary. However, merely pretending a hurricane never happened is impossible.

While denial may be the best option for our pride, it is not the way of our Father and it does not restore health to the relationship.

Matthew 5:21-26 and Matthew 18:15-35 have much to say regarding anger, repentance, and forgiveness among brothers and believers. I am still sorting them out.

Consider with me that every good and even questionable mother teaches her young children to say “I’m sorry.” Our children are instructed to say, “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” To which the other should reply, “Yes, I forgive you.”

If children can kiss and make up, why not grown adults?

How can we ask our children to do what we are not willing to do ourselves?

I know what it feels to be an angry bird. I have a black belt buried in my back yard as a coercion ninja. Yet, I also recall this:

Put on then, as  God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,  compassionate hearts,  kindness,  humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and,  if one has a complaint against another,  forgiving each other;  as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on  love, which  binds everything together in  perfect harmony. ~Colossians 3:12-14

God is in the restoration business. He takes our failures, our sins, and when laid at the foot of the forgiving cross of Christ turns them into something redeemed. Something profitable. What needs restoration in your life? I am praying for restoration in mine.

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Brooke Cooney
Author: Brooke Cooney

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  1. Very challenging post! God doesn’t sweep things under the rug…He pays for them and teaches us to bring that same reconciliation into our relationships as well…great post!!

    Found you through What Joy Is Mine linkup.

  2. I had to click over and speed read Coercion Ninja (I have 200+ new items in my reader … too much clicking around and I’ll never finish … lol) and I’m ashamed to admit … I am one! Signed. Sealed. Delivered!

    We have 2 adult children who have thrown bombs into our family dynamic. One with accusations and lies. The other with drugs and rebellion. We have filtered back through the past over and over. What did we do? What did we say? When we find things we confess them … to God and to each other. Reconciliation is out of our hands at the moment. But we stay surrendered before God … ready to forgive and celebrate when He brings them home!

    • Beth,
      I will pray for your children and family. I love how Anne Voskamp reminded us in a post that the Lenten season teaches us how much we fall short and need God. I am with you sister. Pray those children through this and continue to fight the good fight. Thank you so much for stopping by and reaching out.
      God Bless You,
      Brooke

  3. Brooke, I know firsthand all to well what you have shared here. We are still waiting for complete restoration to happen. Having taken responsibility for our part, we pray for the other parties to do the same and truly only then can serious healing begin. But the sweeping you talked about continues to be and so the situation stands still with no progress. It is sad for us but we know God is faithful and can change hearts in his perfect time and will. Thanks for sharing and for linking up at What Joy Is Mine.

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