Relief and Restoration

I starting reading the book "Meet Me Where I Am, Lord: Devotions for Women" last night and came across this awesome devotion. It really spoke to me, and I hope it does the same for whoever reads this.

The author, Emilie Barnes, talks about a lot of different issues in this devotional book. Some about how to express your gratitude and appreciation to your husband and some about establishing balance in your spiritual life. This one particular devotion stood out to me, though. Barnes talks about "Relief and Restoration," and how God promises it to us. The verse she starts with is from Matthew 11:28-29 and says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." These verses are familiar to me as one of my cousins posted it on Facebook shortly after my aunt's untimely death, and from a hymn we have sung in Mass. Barnes goes on to talk about how "restoration is exactly what He promises us through Scripture" and how "The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you" which she quotes from the Bible (verses unknown, but she mentions Peter.) Here are a few more excerpts from the book that spoke to me:

"When illness strikes, when experiences knock us low, when life leaves us wounded, our natural heart-cry to our heavenly Father is the cry of the child: 'Please make it better.'"

"I'm amazed at the way the human mind can adapt and move forward after a disappointment or even a crushing tragedy. I am astounded by the resilience of the human spirit, the way people can rebound from a setback to live creative and positive lives."

"I believe God also works through human beings to do His restorative work. Traditional and alternative doctors can be agents of remarkable healing, and so can ministers and therapists and counselors, and all those with the spiritual gift of healing. And so can loving friends who pour their energies in prayer and practical help."

"... miraculous, instantaneous healings of mind and body and spirit."

"... God is God. Our loving, redemptive, restorative Father retains the perogative of being in charge of all things, which means that His restoration proceeds on His timetable and according to His priorities. By the Lord's mercy we are being healed, being made perfect in a process that will take our entire lifeties...and perhaps even longer...to complete. We can feel the gentle touch of God's comfort, soft as a mother's kiss, the quiet reminder that He is still here. That calms us and keeps us going."

"God does the restoration, but we are not passive. We are expected to respond and participate in the process by following God's plan for our lives and keep our hearts open to Him, learning more about how He works, and offering Him our heart."

"Here on earth the very process of healing leaves us marked and scarred (not to mention wrinkled and sagging). In the end, though, the healing we are promised is whole and complete. When God is through with us, we will be more real than we ever thought possible - as well as unscarred and unwrinkled and energetic and full of life and love."

How awesome are those words! I hope anyone who reads this takes as much from these words as I did. It's so reassuring that even though we are suffering that God is not done with us... that the restorative process is only complete when we end our earthly lives and begin our eternal heavenly lives.