Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. - Psalm 51:12

I am reminded of an experience I had a few years ago. My natural nails grow very well. But, at this particular time, I had to cut and file them down. I did not want to wait for them to grow back, although that did not take long. So, I did something that I almost never do; I went to a salon and got sculptured nails. As the technician started, I was looking around the room and not really paying attention to what she was doing. When I did look down, she had filed one of my nails into a stiletto. That is a shape where the nail forms a sharp point at the tip. Personally, I think it looks somewhat wicked. I did not like it, but I decided to not say anything. When she was done my nails were perfectly polished. They looked really nice, I just did not like that shape. Anyway, I maintained them for a few weeks. Then, the nail on my right thumb broke completely. Maybe a couple of days after that, half the nail on my left thumb broke. (If you study in the old testament of the bible, you know the thumbs have significance because they enable the hands to grip.) Then, a few days later the nail on my left ring finger broke. I was able to glue the fake nails back on, but they did not look the same. I was not able to go to the salon, so I, eventually, soaked all my nails in acetone and removed what was fake. I had an allergic reaction, I think. My natural nails looked orange and they were rough as a result of pulling the glue off. I buffed them and added some clear polish. I made them look as good as I could with what I had. However, they still looked really bad. It was embarrassing. After a few weeks, the natural color came back and they began to grow. After a few months, all ten of my nails were about one inch long and beautifully white. They had never been so pretty. I am not criticizing sculptured nails. They just are not for me. (To be clear, that is not me in the picture. Ha! Ha! )

After all we have endured, I am sure many of us have acknowledged sins and mistakes that we have made. One general mistake is trying to make things happen in our own way and in our own time. Consequently, we have not been able to maintain what we gained. There have been losses. The situation may not look good right now. It may be humiliating. However, God says if we will recognize what we did wrong and repent, He will, not only deliver, but restore. I once heard a well known pastor teach on restoration. He said it is not, necessarily, getting you back to where you were, but getting you to where you should have been all the time. Some have settled for less and are due an increase or promotion. Some have taken on more than you should have. You may have to accept that some people or things you loss are not coming back. However, they/it will be replaced with what is rightfully yours if you faithfully endure this season. As believers, we all have to be restored to the joy of His salvation. We need to get back to the place where we delight in God and we seek His kingdom first. If we allow God to redirect us and get our focus straight, something great and miraculous will come from this. Be patient and faithful. Restoration is coming.