Rebuilding Painful Places - Visually

I (Timbrel) have always had a very vivid imagination. I grew up reading constantly; when I read, I am often so engaged that I truly cannot hear someone talking to me in a normal voice. I live in the book I'm reading, or the movie I'm watching. It's almost like it becomes part of me.

This gift has long been used against me. Our Enemy's desire is to suppress the good gifts in our lives, to make us passive instead of active. My vivid imagination has left me trapped in fear many, many times; an intense book or movie could give me nightmares for weeks - even months.

As the work of Redemption continues in my life, my vivid imagination is producing entirely different fruit. Jimbo helped me see it this past week. I have noticed for months that my Father is beginning to bless me with vivid visual pictures. As I encounter situations, often difficult ones, whether in my own life or others, Dad sends me an image that gives beautiful meaning to the situation.

One example of this was on the anniversary of my brother's death, which also happens to be my sister's birthday. This is obviously a difficult day. I have been asking my Father to redeem this day, and this year He gave me a redeeming picture. He showed me that, just as there is great anticipation on earth when a baby is about to be born, there is great anticipation in heaven when a son or daughter of the King is about to leave this world for that one. In reality, my brother's "real birthday" is now the same day as my sister's earthly birthday. What a redeeming picture!

I am learning that my Strength and my Song - my Refuge - wants to bring healing into every painful memory, in part by washing the old, painful memories with new, refreshing pictures of what was happening at that time from His perspective. Ask Him; see how He answers you.

Another Step of Redemption

This time last year our lives were full of brokenness. We knew we had a Healer fully capable of bringing restoration, but we had no idea how or when He would bring that restoration to fruition. Step by step, through interactions with His Word and His people, through conferences and books done by those whose lives have been transformed, our Healer has brought restoration - new life, abundantly overflowing.

Today we experienced new life in a place that, like us, was previously "broken." For four years we had poured our lives into a ministry; watching that ministry come to an end was painful - a loss both for us and for others who had invested in it along with us.

To see the healthy model of ministry now thriving in a place that means so much to us - to see our dear friends adjusting and thriving as well as they catch the vision of kingdom work - this is another step of redemption. Today was a special day.

"He has rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate."