Practical Redemption

God redeems. I know this to be true. I have lived his redemptive work. I often think of redemption in connection with the day I made a decision for Him. He forgave me of my sins. He rescued me from the dominion of darkness. He brought me into the kingdom of the Son he loves. I was fourteen when he invited me to take off my good girl mask and truly walk with him. That was the day he redeemed me. 

I also think of redemption in the huge ways that God has taken the big parts of my heart that were really broken and healed them. I think of the hard core, intense work he did for me in college. He revealed all the broken, messed up reactions and coping mechanisms I had built up because the dark things I experienced as a child. The years in college were my redemption years. God truly healed me and made me whole. 

I also think how he redeemed my single adult loneliness, by giving me, in his perfect timing, the perfect mate for me. He tailor-made him for me. He brought us together in such a way that I cannot deny God's existence and personal involvement in my life. 

The other day, I was caused to think about redemption in a new way. It was not in the big life events. God does redeem us from sin and hell, from painful pasts, from oppressing loneliness. But He also redeems so much more. His redemption, if we are looking, can be seen in the smaller things too. 

This hit my heart as we were sitting across from the table from one of the leaders at our church, sharing a meal. Six months ago, church life was hard for us. My husband was having trouble with a leader in our church. He was feeling undervalued and unheard. This caused resentment to build up, and everything became a source of tension and contention. At the same time, I was feeling so alone. In so many ways God had stayed my hand from getting involved in things at the church. My first year of marriage was not to be one of intense ministry, yet that is what I knew, my MO. Many Sundays, for both of us, were spent venting and grieving as frustrations grew in him and loneliness grew in me.  

Now, six months later, we're sharing a pizza and our hearts with that same church leader. I hear him speak words of life into our current life stage and situation. I hear him speak words of respect about my husband. I hear him asking for my opinion and involvement in this church that was such a lonely place for me previously. We get in the car. Dave and I look at each other with big smiles on our faces. We leave that dinner feeling encouraged, loved, and pushed toward Jesus by a man who six months earlier was a primary reason we were contemplating "church shopping." 

As I pondered this change, God spoke to my heart: "This is redemption."