God Redeems Everything!

About a month ago, I was watching a webcast featuring Lysa TerKeurst and Shelia Walsh.  Both women endured some very difficult experiences as either a child or young adult.  During this particular webcast they were recounting some of those difficult times and Shelia Walsh made the statement that God redeems everything.  I admit I have never heard it phrased that way before and I had to stop and ponder what that meant.

Over the past month, I haven't been able to get the phrase out of my head... God redeems everything.  I've come to see it worked out in so many ways in recent weeks. 

Personally, God has taken a very difficult situation for my family by uprooting us from one home, to live in an apartment for the past 5 years.  I won't lie and say it has always been easy.  It's true that God has blessed us with a beautiful and adequate apartment home, but I have always felt like less a person living in an apartment at my age.  As I've looked around at my friends and family and see their nice homes, I've struggled with how everyone must be viewing me and my family.  God continuously worked in my heart in this area over the past 5 years.  I knew in my heart I didn't want what I had before, but I also didn't care for the stigma that went along with my current situation. 

Fast forward 5 years to today... God used those years to teach my husband and me that He had a bigger plan for our family.  If we hadn't struggled through some of the dark times, we wouldn't be in an amazing church that continually blesses, strengthens and encourages us.  We wouldn't have learned the valuable lesson that sometimes less is more... we've learned to live simply, counter culturally and with contentment...

God Redeems Everything!

As I've looked at my friends and family, I've seen over and over how God redeems everything.  Just in the past few weeks, I've heard of a marriage relationship that by secular standards should not have survived due to infidelity, but...

God redeems everything!

I've seen a friend lose a job only to be given a better job opportunity hours after losing the first...

God redeems everything! 

I've seen God remove a friendship that in the moment was difficult to understand only to be restored with another more God honoring, Christ exalting friendship...

God redeems everything! 

I've heard testimony of a man's transformation from a drug addicted lifestyle to a life of restoration found only in the love of Christ...

God redeems everything!

Quite honestly, the list could go on and on.  When I contemplate the work that God is doing in my life and those I know and love, I can see His hand of blessing and restoration on a daily basis.

You may be in one of those dark moments right now and it's hard to see the light. I know and understand those moments, but now I also know something else...

God Redeems Everything!

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.  (Psalm 130:7)