PURVEYORS OF RESTORATION

“These things I remember as I pour out
 my soul: how I used to…” Psalm 42:4a

People often ask us what we do for a living. It’s an honest question, but sometimes I find myself struggling to explain what we do in just a few short words. Our mission is to inspire couples to live what we call “real-life” marriages; Marriages that have the “power, potential and passion” from God to last a lifetime. We call ourselves “Real-Life Marriage Experts” because we “motivate, educate and enter-train” people on how to achieve this kind of marriage. In upscale marketing terms we would be referred to as “purveyors of restoration” to people who need direction or encouragement in their marriages. A “purveyor” distributes a product or in our case information that their customers need. Throughout our life God has blessed our marriage and has given us a message of hope for others. It’s a simple message for people whose lives have become complicated. We have a straightforward style for people who need the truth and we have compassion for those who struggle with real-life just like we do. We are not amazing and graceful, but we have experienced amazing grace. We are not perfect, but we are being perfected. We are not going to reach everybody, but everybody we reach is important. Take a moment this week to “restore” your marriage or any other relationship that might be in jeopardy. You might just find the “peace or piece” that you’ve been missing.     
 
Remember - “These things I remember as I pour out my soul; how I used to…” Psalm 42:4a. The psalmist is pouring out his heart in prayer about how things “used to be” in his relationship with God. Remembering is an important part of restoration. The past is not always good, but it does serve as a reference point of where we need to go. Think about those areas that were terrific in the past and take steps to “restore” them in the present. Now, think about those areas which have given you such grief over the years. What can you do today to “restore” that which is broken? Thoughtful reflection can give you the direction, inspiration and creativity you need to make things right.
  
Embrace - “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1. Willingness to embrace what God wants us to learn is so important if we truly want change in our life. Without the desire to receive from God, whatever we might learn are just cold, hard, and lifeless facts; useless to our pursuit of restoration. If you are willing to embrace God’s will, ask for it with all your heart. If you are not ready to embrace his will; “pour out your soul” until like the deer pants for water your “soul pants” for God’s will in your life. God is waiting with open arms to embrace and be embraced by you.
 
Search - “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” Psalm 42:5. Sometimes the answers we need are not easily found. God has created every one of us in a unique way. Our personalities, our backgrounds and our cultures all contribute to our condition. The psalmist was searching for the “why” of his circumstances. He knew he had a troubled heart, but struggled to understand how it happened. Do you? Don’t be afraid to cry out to God for answers. God wants you to find them. But when you “cry out” be ready to listen. Too many times we want “delegate” our problems to God. We just expect His answers to magically appear like our emails or voicemails. God uses a variety of ways to speak to us, but we need to slow down, ask and then just… listen.     
 
Trust - “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5-6. The psalmist discovered that even when he knew the “answers” he still had to trust in God. Our biggest obstacle between just “knowing” what’s right and “doing” what’s right is usually trust. We have to trust God enough before we do what’s right. The key to restoration relies on our ability to trust God when it really matters. When tempers flare and emotions are in over-drive we have to trust God. Are you facing a situation requiring you to trust God? You will never truly “know” that you can trust Him until you take the plunge of faith allowing Him to catch you in His arms.
 
Options - “I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" Psalm 42:9-10. You do have other options besides trusting in God. The psalmist listed a few of his options. He went around “mourning” over his situation because he felt “forgotten”, “oppressed” and “taunted”. Sounds like a pretty normal “pity party” to me. Don’t get me wrong, we have all been there, but it’s our choice to stay at the party or leave! When you are ready to move on, let God help you trade in your “options” for His plan.
 
Refuse - “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” Psalm 43:3. One of things we learn as we mature is to “refuse less”. Our grandchildren always tell me, “I can do it Papaw!” when they are struggling with something that you know they can’t accomplish by themselves. As the psalmist continued to pray he asked for God to let His “light and truth” guide him; He asked for the “light and truth” to “bring” him to God’s “Holy Mountain”. Restoration takes work. It requires us to “refuse less” so God can guide our progress. When we throw a “tantrum” with God we are not going to find the answers or the peace we need.     
 
Entertain - “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.” Psalm 43:4. This is the most exciting part of restoration. When we finally understand that God is in charge and yield our life to Him it allows us to “entertain success”. Few people, if any, start a marriage wanting it to fail. But most people through a series of poor choices experience problems in their marriage. Let’s face it we get more training on how to drive a car than we do with how to make a marriage last. Those who are wise turn to God for help and the foolish keep plodding along until lives are ruined through the tragedy of divorce. Choose wisely; entertain success.    
 
Restoration is a continual process in a marriage that takes as much courage as saying “I do.” It requires humility, authenticity and dedication. Pray about your marriage this week. Ask God to reveal any projects that need to be completed. May God bless you as you “check your pulse” this week.