What Does Love Look Like?

As I wrote in my previous post, I’m in a new season of my walk with the Lord - a season of rest and restoration. A dear friend gave me the idea of looking at the definition of the word ‘restoration’ through the eyes of faith. A very interesting and worthwhile idea! Here’s what I found:

• Bring back into existence, use or the like; reestablish
• Bring back to a former, original or normal condition
• Bring back to a state of health, soundness or vigor
• Put back to a former place, or to a former position / rank
• To give back, make return or restitution of anything taken away or lost
• To reproduce or reconstruct (an ancient building, extinct animal, etc.) in the original state
• Synonyms: mend, replace, reinstate, rebuild

Isn’t that great? As I re-read that list this morning, it made me so aware of the incredible love that’s behind this work of the Lord. How thankful I am to be so loved - so well loved and cared for! I have no idea how long this season will last nor do I need to know. I am aware of my spiritual ‘dryness’ - a loss of the joy of my salvation (Ps. 51:12), that feeling of lightness instead of the feeling of being weighed down by the things I’m not even meant to be carrying around on my shoulders. I am also very aware of the deep sense of peace and knowledge of the presence of the Lord with me and for that I’m so very thankful!

I know that this new season of my life is a gift - a very precious gift - and I’m so thankful that the Lord is leading me and guiding me as I walk this out and watch him at work restoring my soul (Ps. 23). How amazing is the love of our Lord! This is what that love looks like: that my heavenly Father, knowing my needs before I know them myself, is taking care of me - healing, bringing rest and restoration, attending to the health of my soul. What a loving Father. What a tender Shepherd. What a blessing to be loved like this. And what a powerful and wonderful truth to just live into and experience. I know that as I continue to let this truth, this reality of God’s love, soak into my mind and heart, the promised restoration has begun. Thanks be to God for his amazing love and presence for and with us, his children.