God is totally into restoration. He restores lives, bodies, emotions, relationships, and even communities and nations. God is into restoration.

Yesterday two of my friends brought someone to our prayer meeting whom they thought I should meet, since he is also in youth ministry up the road in our community. Little did they know (actually, it took even the two of us a while to figure this out) that we already knew each other! This passionate, worshipping, friendly, and apparently happy and peace-filled guy was once a student of mine when I taught high school. And I don't remember him being many of those things back then.

I remember pain in his life. I remember heart-ache. I remember a lot of anger. I remember rebellion. I do also remember some good chats and a lot of potential in him, but at the same time I remember a lot of brokenness.

And now I can't wait to hear what's been happening in the last 7 years, because part of the story now obviously includes restoration - to the heart of God, to the church, and to wholeness. God is so great - worthy of all our praise because He IS good, and His love really does endure forever.

In a way this former student's showing up again at this time is also a piece of God's restoration in me. Leaving the teaching profession four years ago was due to a painful experience, and having the first words from this fellow's mouth when he figured out I was "Miss Baker" be words of blessing about that time was incredibly encouraging to me. God is into restoration.

Praise the Lord that He glorifies Himself through even our brokenness and our pain, and that He is always capable of creating something truly beautiful and useful out of pain and hardship.