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by Debbie OgrodnickFocusing on my desktop monitor, I scarcely noticed the young woman enter the church office and sit silently on the chair across the room. “May I help you?” I smiled. Her eyes darted nervously around the room. With forced confidence she replied “I was on 
my way to get groceries and ended up here.”
Looking for a safe place
A compassionate medical doctor had referred Lana* to a Christian counselor, one of many attempts to deal with her chronic depression. Lana started going to church and decided that what she was hearing about God was true.
Lana needed a safe place to be restored, a place to learn about the God she had just recently met. So here she was, standing in the church office, reluctant and cautious. Our five year journey together had begun. Neither of us would ever be the same again.
No one but God could have put together such an unlikely pair. She was single and in her early thirties. I was married, had children and was in my mid-forties. She was unemployed and had too much time on her hands. I was working full time and had more commitments and responsibilities in my life than I could realistically handle. Everything about our lives was completely different, except for one thing, we believed in the same God, and that would be enough.
Making time to mentor
Lana’s restoration was not instantaneous. There were years of dysfunction, unhealthy relationships and a whole host of darkness that had taken over her life. The journey was hard, the daily pace strenuous, the temptation to give up constant . . . on both our parts. And yet God in his mercy always gave us the strength and the determination to carry on.
I often ‘didn’t have time’ for the lengthy unexpected office visits or the frequent phone calls, and yet in spite of my ‘business’ what needed to be done, got done. Often it was I who was the recipient rather than the giver during the times when God powerfully met us as we united in prayer.
Being a mentor is never one sided. Even as ‘an older woman teaching a younger woman’ Lana frequently taught me as I struggled with difficult situations in my life. Nothing was wasted. As many other mentors have found, I felt like I received more than I gave.
There is a verse in the Bible that says that God promises to “restore what the locust have eaten”. In ancient times when a storm of locust came through an area they would eat every green thing in sight. Fields ready for harvest would be reduced to sticks. Locusts meant total devastation. Once they had passed, there was nothing left. God promises not to leave us devastated. He doesn’t promise that things will be as they were before, but he does promise that there will be a harvest – something to look forward to, something to feed our souls.
I recently had the honor of serving as the matron of honor at Lana’s wedding. Her life, once desolate and barren had been more than restored. So much joy was waiting for her. I am privileged to have been both part of her journey and of that very special day.
Is there an area of your life that needs restoration?
God is waiting to help put the broken pieces back together. In the Bible it says that God loves the world so much that he sent his son to suffer in our place so that the slate can be wiped clean. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross forgiveness is available for everyone. No matter what has happen to us, no matter what we’ve done.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer:
Lord, I need you now more than ever. I want your peace of mind. In the midst of my broken heart and my pain, I turn to you. Jesus, I ask you to forgive my sins and to give me your peace and comfort. I open the door of my life and put my trust in you.
If you sincerely expressed that prayer to God, you can know that you have a personal relationship with Him. He will be your comfort. God promises us "peace that passes understanding" in other words peace in a world that doesn't make sense. You can know peace and hope even when your world is in turmoil. You can be restored. God does not change. Ever.
* Lana is not her real name
Related reading:
No more guilt
~ Debbie Ogrodnick is a prairie girl from Saskatchewan where she lives with her husband. They are the parents of three adult children. Debbie loves to see God leave His fingerprints on the everyday lives of people as He transforms them by the renewing of their mind.