Friday, February 24, 2012

From Heap to Hope


Psalm 51:12 (NIV)
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.


So lately God has me reflecting on the past 10 or so years of my life and how extreme of a change He has made in me. I use the word extreme because if you know me or knew me, I am a different man. Not perfect but changed! My life felt just like this picture above. Pretty much not going anywhere anytime soon!!  At least not without help. It took me 27 years to be "restored" to God's original intent and purpose in this life and I know that. In short, what was temporally broke down and dislocated from God's Kingdom has now been restored and functions as a part of the whole or the body.

So what does it mean to be restored and what does that process look like?? We'll here is a "man's" point of view.......

Not sure how many of you enjoy watching the Mecum Auto Auction on television but I love it! I love seeing how cars that are sometimes 40, 50, or even 60 years old have gone from a lifeless, beat up, unrecognizable pile of metal, to a pristine, polished, functioning piece of art displayed in all its former glory. The care and love that is put into these restorations is phenomenal. The more original the car is restored, the more it is valued and desired by others. When I say valued, I mean I've seen cars go for more than a half million dollars!! That may seem nuts to you but to someone who has a special place in their heart for that car, there is no price that will not be paid. Period!  Think about it, how many times do you see a classic car rolling down the street and not take a second look? Why do you, because it's knowing that someone put hundreds of hours into making the dead into something alive. That's just cool!

During the auction they sometimes show pictures of how the car looked prior to end product you see rolling across the stage. Most cases you can't even recognize the car in the pictures due to rust, holes, dents and dirt that has claimed the appearance. But due to love and effort, life is given back to these cars for others to appreciate.

This is how I see my restoration process!

I know I was originally created in the image of God as Adam was in the begging of time. But due to my sin and fleshly desires, I ended up broke down, barely clinging to life and allowing time to consume me. I lived day to day, literally dollar to dollar, drug to drug, and had no idea God's original intent was for me to live above this brokenness.

So what......

The bible uses the word "restore or restored" at least 67 times and in many applications, Christ himself modeled this in the New Testament.

He restores the blind! He restores health! He restores hope and strength! The bible even says God restores our wealth. But I think most important at least to me, is that He restored my ability to have a relationship with the Father. Love! The same relationships these men and woman have with these unrecognizable cars. The ability to see past the surface, envisions the hope, and turns a passion into reality. That is God's desire for us my friends!! 

You see the very purpose of restoration is bringing something or someone back to the original intent. And in my case it is to be a servant for God. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined singing praises on a worship team, or having the opportunity to teach the youth in church, or most importantly learning to lead my family to the cross where restoration is always a present tense word. A place for many years I was oblivious to.

No matter where you are or what you may have done, God is in the business of restoring His people back to a relationship of love. It may just take you pulling off that old car cover, envisioning a bright future, and allowing God to undo what man says will be. There is hope for all of us. Pray and allow God to do what He has done in my life. Taken me from superficial living to sacrificial giving. He is the Author and Perfector of our faith and since Jesus is the original intent for us and our lives should be the original intent for Him.

When you align yourself with people of the SAME passion for God, the restoration process can be quicker, smoother, and more successful. Never allow a secluded old barn, a dirty car cover, and a beat up old body keep you from living in style and class. Remember, our designer knows our potential and every working part of us. He can make beauty from ashes or in this case take you from heap to hope! 

Choose to live in abundance my friends. YOU deserve!!!

~Blessings