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
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Psalm 23 is one that keeps coming up for me lately! I love that image of God as a shepherd who knows exactly what we need and leads us to places where we can be restored. Thanks for reminding me of this again today!
You’re welcome Lesley 😀 It sounds that God is taking you into a season of restoration.
Jennifer, this is such a beautiful, peaceful, and needed post this morning. I am so grateful for the way our Lord restores our souls. This morning it is with the quiet sound of rain falling and birds chirping. The sounds remind me our God has all things in His hands. Blessings!
That He does Joanne 😀 so lovely to have you drop by…
Thank you for this meditation of Psalm 23. I loved teaching it to my preschool class, and used Lego structures to teach the meaning of the word “restore.” I’d show them a simple creation and then take it apart. “Can you fix this?” Then, “Can you restore this?”
It was so sweet to hear them say the words of this beautiful psalm.
I love that practical teaching application Michele! 😀
Restored. Yes, this is who I want to be, how I want to live …
I’m with you on that Linda…
Just beautiful, Jennifer! I feel restored and refreshed after reading your peaceful words. You paint a relaxing scene effortlessly (or so it seems) at the beginning of your post and that theme permeates the entire writing. I feel calmer than before I read it.
I’m delighted you enjoyed our time together Laurie & that you felt refreshed 😀
A beautiful and restorative post, Jennifer… A perfect reminder of God’s restorative power and His great love for us! ❤ Blessings and love, dear friend
Thank you Bette, sending love your way too 😀
Restoring is indeed a slow process and we aren’t in charge. The other day God gently told me that He was the General Contractor and I was only a sub-contractor! I got His point.
I love God’s analogies Elizabeth! 😀
Jennifer, what a lovely post my friend. I felt a calmness with your beautiful images. We all need those times of restoration for our bodies and our soul. I often have periods of feeling anxious. But, God restores me when I rest in Him.❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed our time together Pam 😀 God’s peace truly passes all understanding & restores our souls… what a blessing! ♥
This is so apt for me at the moment Jennifer. This year has played out so differently than I expected and restoration is definitely a key word. I love the words of The Lord is my Shepherd.
Yes Brigid, it has definitely been a year of the unexpected…We need to have that time with Him for restoration 😉
Psalm 23 came alive when I watched my late husband shepherd the sheep on the farm, he was was a really good shepherd… How amazing our lives are when the Lord is ours ♥
Beautiful, soothing post Jennifer, I could feel my breath deepening as I read it. I hope you are keeping well. Xx
Thank you Marie, I’m glad you enjoyed our time together… As well as can be 😀