Restored, And Better Than Before

My mother always used to tell me "good things take time." To paraphrase that, I've learned through the years that "God things take time!" The journey to a beautiful destination can be made of rocky roads and seemingly impassable mountains. It is easy to lose hope in those times. Just like an oak tree in the winter that looks dead after losing all of it's leaves, new life comes in the spring. It starts with tiny little buds, and culminates in a colorful tree full of leaves with deeper roots and greater strength than before.

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." ~Isaiah 40:31

It takes time to work through the anger and sadness that come when grieving a loss. Once we are able to say goodbye to the losses of yesterday, one is able to open the door to the dawn of a new tomorrow.

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

While God may let us lose things, He is also a God of restoration. As we find better doctors, and finally get long sought answers, we find a better quality of life. In the process we learn compassion, empathy and become stronger. We learn to have joy in things that once meant very little, and we become closer to the Lord. We also learn coping strategies and how to live rather than just survive.

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." ~1 Peter 5:10

When God restores our lives we are different people because we're more complete than we were before. Equipped with a fresh perspective and renewed spirits, we receive what He has for us with a new appreciation and a grateful heart.

"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  ~ James 1:4

Have you found that living through hard things has made you a better person? If so, how?