Reconciliation
and Restoration-Beauty for Ashes
By Jeannine Sawall
“…to bestow on them
a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of
mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They
will be called oaks of righteousness; a planting of the Lord for
the display of his splendor.”
Isaiah
61:3b (NIV)
“He
better not think he’s going to come into your life now after I’ve done all the
hard work. You’re MY daughter! He CAN’T have you!” The response from my mom shocked
me. I thought she would be glad to hear my bio-dad Larry was interested in a
relationship after all these years. The Lord had worked healing in mighty ways
in my mom’s life and she was a ministry leader offering hope of restoration and
reconciliation to women who had experienced brokenness. Did she not see maybe
this was God working to restore and reconcile THIS broken relationship?
“Mom,
we don’t even know how this relationship will play out. Maybe we’ll keep in
touch through Christmas cards, or maybe we’ll have another guest at the boys’
birthday parties.” “Well, if Larry is there. I won’t be there!” My mom was
struggling with unresolved feelings of abandonment, rejection and heartbreak. She
had become pregnant while she and Larry had been dating and while they had
become engaged and planned a future together, life didn’t quite work out that
way. She felt left with ashes.
Several
weeks later, after a promising meeting with Larry, I asked my mom how she was
doing with the whole “Larry thing.” She responded by saying, “I’m good.” She
explained she and God had wrestled and He showed her exactly where He wanted
her to be. I asked her what “being good” looked like if Larry came to my son’s
birthday party. She responded she’d happily be there.
God
had done His restoring work in my mom. She had made an about-face. God had shown
her while her path had a few more twists and turns, her response to His love
and healing had brought her to a place of spiritual prosperity. He had
exchanged beauty for ashes and the splendor of God’s divine work in her life
was now bringing glory to Him. Despite poor choices, when we respond in
obedience to the Lord, He works to restore us and turns our mourning into joy.
Only
our God could be at work like that and I’m thankful my mom chose to be
teachable to His will. But He wasn’t done teaching me about reconciliation and
redemption. Tomorrow, the story continues.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Where in your life can you be teachable to God’s plan and allow Him to exchange
ashes for beauty?
2.
Who can you share your restoration story with?
FURTHER
READING:
Jeannine is a wife
and busy mother of four boys. She works in property management, serves in Café and
actively walks along those experiencing grief.
