Welcome! Today we will be reflecting upon restoration & its deeper meaning for the body, mind & spirit.
I have my cuppa at the ready…Do you have yours?
Today we are seated in a sunny spot in my garden, the birds are happily tweeting & chirping, flitting in & out of the bushes around us.
Our resident Kookaburras are intently watching our lawn, from their chosen perches upon the clothes line, for any movement of lawn grubs that would make a tasty snack!
The clouds are rolling past high in the azure sky & all seems serene in my part of the world in this very moment of time…ahhh…
This setting is so relaxing & rejuvenating
I can feel the exhaustion lifting from my weary bones. With the timing of Life after Trauma & the ever present fatigue of Fibromyalgia I needed to be wise & pause to restore today…
How about you, my dear friend, do you need to pause, rest & restore too?
Let us begin our time of reflection together…
Have you noticed that the word Restore can have so many different meanings…we can restore houses, cars & objects.
Then confidence may need to be restored when trust has been broken in relationships that are damaged or wounded.
Wealth can be lost from personal, business or global financial crises that may need a lot of hard work to restore.
Nature’s eco systems & environments need restoration after man made or natural disasters.
Our bodies need to restore when our energy is depleted or our health has been compromised.
Our minds need time for rest & restoration often
Otherwise we become overwrought & overwhelmed, to the point where we may not be able to think straight…
Then there comes a time for spiritual restoration…which always encompasses our body & minds in the process of restoring the soul.
Let me personalise this…
Looking back over the good & the challenging times of my life, I can see that there have been seasons of restoration, not just quiet restorative days.
The ancient words of King David came to my mind when I was reflecting upon this, he shepherded sheep from childhood, you may be familiar with his psalm;
The Lord God is my shepherd,
He knows & meets my needs.
He makes green pastures in which I lay;
He leads me beside refreshing quiet waters.
He restores my soul…
Psalms 23: 1-3
For an incredibly blessed season in my life, I was an Australian farmer’s wife (known here as a Wool grower or in other parts of the world a shepherdess).
In that season I really needed a soft green pasture to lay my weary soul.
A it had been a very challenging time leading up to that chapter of my life.
God intimately knew this & met that need.
Then after my gentle husband’s passing, I needed time to restore & refresh anew but in a different way.
I was clearly led from what had been a very restorative green pasture with my gentle & loving husband to the quiet & refreshing waters that I now reside beside.
You may enjoy reading the story in Home sweet home
You see Restoration is a process, it doesn’t happen overnight, especially when our soul’s have small or large cracks of brokenness, sadness, grief or pain upon them & need Mending!
However I have found we can become rather impatient in these seasons, wanting change & resolution quickly.
But the restorative process is necessary for our eternal health.
Sheep should not be rushed
Sheep should not be rushed, the Good Shepherd knows His sheep’s capacity (as I learnt from my late husband & then as a shepherdess myself), rushing them only leads to fearful & anxious sheep which in turn causes a downturn in their wellbeing, opening them up to all manner of adverse attacks!
So, enjoy the restorative green pastures & the refreshing quiet waters my friend, He is gently restoring your soul.
Your circumstances may be packaged in strange wrappings that you may not understand at the moment but He is there even when you don’t realize it…He is there!
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or in Prayer
© 2019 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photos by Jennifer & on Pexels.com
Tea With Jennifer 
A very calming post and that is something we all need during these times. Thank you for linking up and have a great week.
Thank you Michelle! You have a great week too my friend. 😊
Restored, a very good and encouraging word to ponder-thank you!
Thank you! ☺️
Restore – oh, yes! God has done a lot of working restoring that which was broken in my life – your discussion made me thinking refreshing, too – which to me isn’t restoration – but something less structurally intrusive – but a comforting, refilling, breathing time! God’s still restoring – We’ve had a lot of demo-days together!
It’s interesting how we all perceive things differently Maryleigh… I love how God has created each one of us so unique. And that He continues His work of grace in us, exactly how we need it, as we come to Him. Blessings 😀
Oh yes.. I love this so! Did you know that my name is Aboriginal and it means a resting place beside waters… and God has called us to times of Rest and Restoration many times! In fact, we are wrapping up (by faith!) a long, hard season and in celebration, we went to the shore to give thanks and rest! Powerful! (Also: YUM… Earl Grey!)
How lovely that you have an Aboriginal name, do you know which Aboriginal nation (mob) it comes from as we have many here.
My name ‘Jennifer’ is Celtic & means strong white wave & I love the seaside, I feel so blessed to be able to live on the coast in our water Wonderland 😀
Lovely having you drop by Karrileea.
Finding time to be restored is so tricky with having 3 little ones and all their noise. I feel so weary when I don’t get those moments.
It’s a busy time when you have little ones, I remember so well! I used to have mini retreats when I had a cuppa & they were playing in the garden. It may have only been 20 minutes (if that) but it helped to refresh me for the next round of mummying 😉
Yes! We spent a bit of time in our backyard today!
And, what kind of tea are you drinking on this perfect day?
My all time favorite today Earl Grey 😀
What is your favorite tea or are you a coffee drinker?