Restoration

This morning I walked through the woods near our home. Enjoying the fresh crisp air, I could not miss the amazing beauty of God’s creation. The trees in the forest stretched skyward, disappearing into the low hanging clouds. God called my attention to an old and rotting stump of a once grand Douglas Fir. The stump was jagged and soft , full of holes created by insects. But clinging to the sides and disappearing into the dark soil surrounding it were the healthy and strong roots of a new tree which had been birthed from the top of that old stump.

What a perfect picture of God’s ability to restore. From the dead and rotten - new life has emerged. I believe God loves a good restoration project. Taking something broken, forgotten and beyond hope, our Lord creates a new marvel. He is in the business of restoration.  When everything seems helpless through the lens of our earthly eyes, He can step in to restore our brokenness. Sometimes we get painfully reduced to a stump – all of our splendor removed – before we can feel God’s hand of restoration.

I am reminded of the village of Cajixay. Totally destroyed and literally burned to the ground, the cries of the people had faded and left the smell of death lingering in the mountain valley.  A stump that time might have forgotten. Then, after the sounds of war were gone, new life took root in the village. Families returned and seeds were planted. New life begins and sprouts out of that old stump. The singing and laughter have returned to Cajixay and transformation is underway. New buildings have been built, supplemental crops developed, schools expanded and business created.  And I think God smiles down and says, “It is good.”  In Cajixay, there was a desire for restoration – a desire to put in the hard work – and hope for the future. 

God can take a seed and plant it in an old stump, turning it into a grand tree again. God can take the smoldering remains of a remote Guatemalan village and make it come to life. And God can certainly take our broken situations and relationships and create them new again.

 “He restores my soul” Ps 23:3

Rich