Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Lamentations 3:21-24
Welcome to the Restored Home Blog
Caught in the Between
There is something sacred about Saturday’s stillness in the passion account.
The disciples didn’t have eyes to see that hope was brimming under the surface. They were full of grief and despair, longing and fear.
But we are of those who see the dawn of Sunday. And yet, here we sit: BETWEEN.
Darkest Day
As I worked through the paperwork, tears streaming down my face, I wrote the date and all of a sudden realised that it was Good Friday. The darkest day in the history of the world—the Son of Man, slain for the sins of the world. His body broken and bruised, poured out as an offering. I lifted my heart up to Jesus in that waiting room and felt His presence so strongly in that room.
He had died for this very moment.
Dear Heart,
God, do you want to walk away too?
Am I easy to leave? Easy to replace?
Will you always be here, or does our relationship have an expiration date?
Where are you when the chair beside me is empty?
Remember
When "love" breaks your heart and walks away it's hard to trust that God's love is any different. When love feels only broken and shaky, look to the cross of Jesus and see, remember and meditate on a Love that has not, will not, could not end. Take note of the differences and remember, real Love NEVER fails.
When Suffering Drags On and On…
David cries out in Psalm 13, “How long Lord?”
Four times we hear this same plea. Do you think his cries got louder and angrier with each “how long”?
Maybe I’m just projecting my own angst onto his words…
What Is Biblical Lament?
"Lament is prayer in pain that leads to trust…”
Mark Vroegop in Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy
Between Ashes & Beauty
Lent just seems like the right time to admit that everything feels a bit broken. It seems like the perfect time to remind ourselves that while, yes, everything is dark and shattered, IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE SO.
Join us as we learn to welcome biblical lament into our lives. We pray it stirs up fresh, raw hope within you in the days to come.
Do You Even Understand?
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…
Haven’t I Suffered Enough?
He tears me down on every side so that I am ruined.
He uproots my hope like a tree.
Have You Forgotten Me?
I will say to God, my rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why must I go about
in sorrow…?
Are You Listening to Me?
Blessed be the Lord, for He has heard the sound of my pleading.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
Have You Stopped Loving Me?
Has his faithful love ceased forever?
Is his promise at an end for all generations?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
How Long, O Lord?
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day?
Between Ashes & Beauty
Lent just seems like the right time to admit that everything feels a bit broken. It seems like the perfect time to remind ourselves that while, yes, everything is dark and shattered, IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE SO.
Join us as we learn to welcome biblical lament into our lives. We pray it stirs up fresh, raw hope within you in the days to come.