Reality & Restoration

We all live in a reality.  Whatever our current situation is, that is our reality.  Some people try and escape that reality.  Some people embrace that reality.  Sometimes that reality is good.  Sometimes that reality is hard.  BUT, it is reality, whatever it is & however we deal with it.  Here is my honest admittance of the reality I (and because of it not just being me), Kasey and our kids, and others are living in because of me...

I have been going to a discipleship program, disguised as a recovery ministry, at Watermark Community Church's Fort Worth Campus called ReGeneration on Monday nights.  (My shameless plug is to go to it, no matter your reality, because we all have things to dig into to grow in our relationship with the LORD).  Here's where things have hit in the last month as I am digging in...

First, I have had to come to an acknowledgement of the hurt my sin has caused.  I have done this in small doses along the way, but this was a big horse pill dose-  hard to swallow and stayed in the gut for a while.  But, healing only comes when we admit where our reality has been.

Second, I have come face to face with the fact that I struggle with what full restoration looks like.  My life changed drastically in one big sweeping motion and restoration is an interesting journey to walk when that happens.  I have seen restoration with Kasey and I, with many relationships, and I know more is to come.  With that said here is what I am learning...

Romans 8:18, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."  Disclaimer, this is about eternity, this is about the restoration of all things when Jesus comes back.  This hit me on a personal level the other day though.  There is a sense of suffering in this present time for our family (not looking for consolation or encouragement, that just is what it is).  Kasey describes it as an exile. It’s not that people are exiling us, it’s just the result of the change. Here's the cool thing, God always grow us in exile times and brings really cool things from it.  So these times of suffering (even if self induced) will bring something on the other side that is amazing, if we submit to God.

Romans 8:20, "the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope..."  We live in a reality of futility.  Sometimes that is not willingly, as above with creation.  Sometimes that futility comes at our own doing.  But futility is what we live in none the less, BUT that futility, when we turn to Christ is always in hope.

Right around the time, last week, when these verses were working on me, I saw a waxing crescent moon (that's for my science nerds) and it mesmerized me.  I kept staring at it and felt God say, "You don't see all of it-  you don't see the whole picture.  And even when it is a full moon, you still only see half the picture." 

Whatever our reality is, whatever we are currently facing...it is only part of the picture.  It is only a little step into the purpose God has.  That is where faith comes in, we trust God knows and has something better on the other side.  He is good and we can trust him.

So after this struggle of what full restoration looks like, here is what I learned. Full restoration is knowing God, enjoying God, and walking in His purposes for us.  Restoration is not about our idea of the way things should be, restoration is about walking in freedom with our relationship with the LORD (and as a perk, relationship with others) and walking in the purposes God has for us.