Restory
My grandpa is a master at restoring things, and not in the way you might think…He doesn’t replace car transmissions or remodel homes…but rather, he takes old, worn-out shoes and turns them into planters.
A few months ago, he came upon some wood and wheels and he turned it into a little red wagon for our son. His shed is full of things that many people would toss out, but he has creatively restored and repurposed.
The process of restoration involves repair, renewal, and bringing back to a different, often better, state.
I recently heard the word ‘restore’ described as to ‘restory’ something. Isn’t that beautiful?
Throughout the Bible are examples of God re-storying the narratives for a lot of messed up people…
Paul (Saul) is the one who “approved the stoning of Stephen,” (Acts 8:1), and “breathed threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord…” (Acts 9:1) AND whom the Lord commanded and appointed “as a light to the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.” (Acts 13:47)
Mary Magdalene is the one “from whom seven demons had gone out…” (Luke 8:2) AND whom Jesus first appeared to after He rose from the dead, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18)
David is the one who slept with a married woman, got her pregnant, and had her husband killed, “evil in the sight of the Lord.” (2 Samuel 11:27) AND whom the Lord forgave, “redeemed from all distress,” (1 Kings 1:29) and showed favor to generations after him, “then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.” ( 1 Kings 2:12)
He didn’t leave Mary with her demons; He chose her as the first to witness and testify of His Resurrection.
He didn’t put a period at the end of Saul’s hate and persecution of Christians…He radically transformed his life to save nations, to plant churches, and to write 13 letters of the New Testament.
He didn’t complete the story of David with the cost and consequences of sin…He restored him to tell a much larger story about His mercy, love, and forgiveness.
He is the God of BOTH, AND. He wants to tell the whole story of your life from His perspective.
The enemy means to destroy your life, using whatever he can to make you feel like a useless old shoe, or a broken-down wagon but the good news is, our God is the author of restoration. Instead of tossing out the broken and seemingly useless pain in our lives, He gives healing purpose to it and a renewed perspective.
He will make meaningful your mistakes, make beautiful your broken, repair your rubble, and turn your dead-end street into the road that leads to eternal life.
He will then use your life to tell the bigger story of who HE is.
He is the God of RESTORATION—the One that holds the pen to your story and mine, with the power to ‘restory’ it, and He will be faithful to complete it!