Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

The start of a new year often feels like a blank canvas. We set goals, make resolutions, and hope for change. But what if, instead of trying to fix ourselves on our own, we asked God to do the restoring work only He can do?

Restoration is a deeply personal, sometimes uncomfortable process. It asks us to confront what’s broken, what’s missing, or what we’ve neglected. Restoration isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen; it’s about allowing God to redeem it. Psalm 51:12 says, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Restoration is His invitation to step into joy, peace, and purpose, even after disappointment, failure, or loss.

I don’t know about you, but over the past year, I’ve felt some areas of my life were “beyond repair.” Relationships that frayed, dreams that stalled, routines that drained rather than energized me. I tried to fill the gaps myself, more planning, more effort, more control, but nothing lasted. Only when I surrendered these areas to God did I begin to see real change. That’s the nature of His restoration, it comes from Him, not from our own striving.

God’s Restoration Is Holistic

God doesn’t restore in just one area of life. His restoration is comprehensive:

1. Spiritual Restoration – He wants to renew your love for Him, your hunger for His Word, and your intimacy with Him. 1 Peter 5:10 reminds us, “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
2. Emotional Restoration – He desires to heal wounds, release guilt, and bring peace where anxiety or bitterness have settled. Isaiah 61:3 speaks of giving “a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”
3. Relational Restoration – God can restore broken relationships, friendships, and even family dynamics. This doesn’t always mean things return to exactly how they were, but He can bring reconciliation, clarity, and peace where there was conflict or silence.
4. Purpose and Calling – God wants to restore your sense of direction, your confidence in His plan, and your courage to step into the calling He has placed on your life. Joel 2:25 promises, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”

Personal Reflection on Restoration

Last year, I experienced restoration in a way I didn’t expect. A friendship had drifted, strained by misunderstandings and unmet expectations. I tried to fix it on my own, but nothing changed. One morning, I asked God to intervene, to restore what He wanted restored according to His plan. Weeks later, the walls between us softened. The relationship didn’t look exactly like it once did, but it was better, deeper, more honest, and grounded in grace. God restored it in His timing, not mine.

This experience reminded me of a critical truth: restoration is God’s work, not ours. We can prepare, pray, and act in obedience, but only He can truly heal, reconcile, and renew.

Practical Steps to Invite God’s Restoration

1. Identify the areas that feel broken or empty. Be honest. Don’t skip over what’s painful or awkward. God can handle it all.
2. Bring them to Him in prayer. Surrender control, ask for His guidance, and listen for His gentle nudge.
3. Take small steps of obedience. Sometimes restoration requires action, reaching out to someone, making amends, or committing to a new spiritual habit.
4. Be patient. Restoration takes time. God works in His timing, not ours. Trust the process and lean on His grace daily.
5. Celebrate the progress. Even small signs of restoration, peace replacing anxiety, joy replacing sorrow, understanding replacing confusion, are proof of God at work.

A Challenge for the New Year

This year, I challenge you to consider what God wants to restore in you. It may not be what you think. It may not look like “fixing” things in a perfect way. But it will be exactly what you need for growth, healing, and purpose.

Remember, restoration doesn’t require perfection—it requires surrender. Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Let this year be a year where you allow God to restore what has been lost, broken, or weary. Step into it with faith, not fear. Trust that He is faithful to complete the work He has started in you.

Question for reflection: What is one area of your life that feels broken or empty, and how can you invite God’s restoration into it this year?