Traveling Thankfulness – God’s Restoration in Your Life
Zechariah 9:12, NIV Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
Today I am sitting in the middle of a crowded airport with crying babies, smiling grandpas, and busy businessmen all heading to someplace. They know their destinations printed on their tickets, but when they land, do they know what awaits them?
Naturally I have the laptop out, Pandora on, and some great music playing, and writing a chapter for my book Single Man Walking. I’m sure as I sit in the corner, people around me don’t pay much attention to what I’m doing.
As the music played, I was caught off guard by the song change on Pandora. With just a few musical notes of ‘Restored’ by Jeremy Camp, I’m frozen. My emotional demeanor changed almost immediately as I tucked my head down and covered my face as I was brought to tears. His voice and that song reminded me of the past decade as a single man and the journey I’ve been on. My tears weren’t of pain but of thankfulness as I had been brought full circle.
Over a decade ago ago I sat in the same airport flying home from a trip to Florida. My self-image of who I was and what I wanted to be was so different. At that time I was traveling home to a wife and children, a successful business, friends, and a large extended family. In my book “Single Man Walking“, I talk about that day, and that trip. It was the evening where the word divorce was uttered by my former spouse that changed my entire life journey.
Jeremy Camp’s songs were a mantra in my life back then. His song, “Walk By Faith” really spoke to me during that time as I had no understanding of all that was about to happen to me as a man.
If I were to draw out a plan for how I wanted to spend the last twelve years, back then, it would look nothing like the journey I experienced.
The past years have seen many changes. I had to close one of my nearly 15-year old businesses during a bad economy and I traded my house outside the city for a loft downtown. Being single again yielded very few friends with a single’s perspective, no extended family, and dating – oh, all the dating. That’s sound pretty grim as I write it. However, outside of the continual pursuit of being a great dad, all of them pail in comparison to who God has made me through the unexpected journey.
Its why sitting in this airport and hearing ‘Restored’ almost brought me to my knees as I just wanted to scream out my thankfulness to God. I had a realization of coming full circle and that song – just a reminder of God’s restoration.
Some of life’s journeys find us going unwilling, kicking and screaming all the way. Others we go blindly, as if God’s grace has covered our selfish eyes. And others, we are the child in the back seat of the car asking, ‘are we there yet?’ Time is really never a determinant of restoration or freedom from what you are going through. It takes time and attention to really pursue restoration.
Restored, to me, means I am better than new. Restored also means accepting that there will be things you and I may never know and some that we don’t need to know.
If you are walking a journey and readily can’t see a point of restoration, take heart! No matter what you have been through, there will be a time when you can see it. For me, it took nearly twelve years and it didn’t come packaged the way I thought it would be. But as the song, “Restored” says, God mends and he restores and I’m a testament to that.
Jeremy Camp – Restored – Video
Jeremy Camp – Restored – Lyrics
All this time I’ve wandered around searching for the things I’ll never know
I’ve been searching for this answer that only will be found in your love
And I feel it
My heart is being mended by your touch
And I hear it
Your voice that’s shown my purpose in this world
[Chorus]
You have restored me from my feeble and broken soul
You have restored me
I’ve only come to realize my strength will be made perfect at your throne
Laying all reflections down to see the precious beauty that you’ve shown
And I feel it
My heart is being mended by your touch
And I hear it
Your voice thats shown my purpose in this world.
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
Laying all these questions down youve answered what I need
Youve given more than I deserve your making me complete
You give me all these open doors I’m humbled at your feet
To show me what youve done for me.
[Chorus]
All this time I’ve wandered around searching for the things I’ll never know.
