”Stay off the grass!” “Caution – wet paint!” ”Stay off the wet cement!” “Stay off dunes!” (I did see a few footprints just beyond the sign.) They are all warnings that something is being restored and therefore protected. Someone has put and/or is putting a lot of work into the restoration process and would like others to respect that work and allow the restoration to be completed.
I’m thinking of another place for a sign. I’d like to hang it around the neck of people who are young in their faith. It might say – “Soul restoration” or “Faith restoration” with the added plea, “please do not harm?”
A young lady who is recently discovering what it means to have faith in Jesus is experiencing tremendous financial and emotional strain which of course is causing a strain on her faith. Like most of us, some of the issues she faces are the result of poor choices. It’s just that the timing of the consequences is hard on the restoration of her faith. I believe it is faith that will get her through and will restore the broken places in her life but I wish her faith had opportunity to be more firmly established before she was hit with so much.
One of the challenges of the Church is to restore people so that they can truly live. I like this statement in “The Externally Focused Church” by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson: “The church is a place of rehabilitation, not convalescence. It is not a hospice that prepares people to die; it is a rehab center to prepare people to live.”
I believe there is an enemy who tries to destroy faith – I want to put a sign, in his language, on people who are new to faith that says, “Soul restoration – stay away.” Perhaps, however, it would be more like a magnet and would attract his attention. Just as I saw footprints near the “stay off the dunes” sign, there will always be evidence that the enemy is at work in the lives of new believers.
Instead of posting a sign, we will need to stand along side our friends, pray and walk with them until they are strong enough to walk with others.
June 1, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Your word pictures speak.
June 2, 2009 at 1:59 pm
As i invest in people. I feel protective and want them to become strong before the enemy takes a shot at them. I also realize that the attacks of the enemy can serve to make one stronger.