Lessons From the Edge

HE came to restore.

Christmas is just five days away!
Are you ready for it? *wink*

At Christmas time, I love to reflect on God's grace and mercy toward us - in that He sent His Son to earth, to live a perfect life so He could serve as a perfect sacrifice that we might be forgiven and reconciled to God. That amount of heavenly love astounds me.
However, this week at Edgewood I had several occasions to pause and give thanks for the fact that He didn't come simply to save.
Let me explain...
*I was talking with one woman about my grandmother and she said to me, "Your grandmother is so easy to love!" And I thought, Why, yes. She is. I smiled at the memories of the many ways she has blessed my life. But then I wondered, Why is it that my dad has such a rocky relationship with her? Why are they so troubled with each other?
*There is a man who lives just down the hall from the Activity Room and since we are in such close proximity, I see him often. We usually enjoy brief, but enjoyable, conversations. However, he has recently begun declining. And our conversations this week have been difficult because his mind is getting so confused. In fact, sometimes this otherwise delightful man has been rather hostile.
*One evening this week I stepped in to support a co-worker who was trying to calm an upset woman. Usually I can get this particular woman to smile and sing with me, but not on this occasion. She was not herself. Rather, she was hostile and unreasonable. And it made me so sad to see her that way.
I thought about the brokenness represented in each of these scenarios. Broken relationships, broken minds, broken hearts. And it mad me so sad. I wondered, Why, LORD? Why the brokenness and pain? Can't You fix it?
That is when God reminded me Christmas isn't simply about Him coming to save our souls from eternal damnation. No. HE sent Jesus to bring restoration and hope for eternity.

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to (Jesus). Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:17-21

So I pray for the restoring power of Christ to flood my father and grandmother's relationship.
I pray for C and H, and trust the restoring power of Christ will make them whole for all of eternity.
I am forever grateful that Jesus left the glory of heaven so we could be reconciled to God through His blood.
And I find peace in the hope I have because in His complete work, HE came to restore.

***I am going to be taking a blog-break until after the New Year. May you enjoy the next couple of weeks with family and friends in the goodness of our LORD!

Disclaimer: The ideas and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and may not necessarily reflect those of Vista Springs Living Centers.