Restoration

Things have taken a wonderful turn lately in my life. Really, i don't even know where to begin to describe the wonderful twist my life has taken. Just as I was thinking that life will be a perpetual winter where hardship and sadness are dominant, God has begun to slowly restore everything that we've lost. I don't want to spill everything on here because way too many people have looked at our situation and have judged us and seen it as either God punishing us for going back 'under the curse' of the Torah or it's just purely because of our own stupidity. They don't see that maybe this season of hardship has been so that God can test our hearts, teach us about His covenant and the weightier matters of Torah, and to refine who we are as human beings. Everyone in the Bible has been through hard times. Really hard times. It's the only way that character is built. I think some people think that once you're a Christian, Yeshua is just your free ticket to a smooth sailing life. Well, from my experience, before the good times come you have to go through some pretty damn hard times first. Perfect example of this is in the movie called the Ultimate Gift. I kind of see my life so far like that. God sending me different situations to test my strength and courage and to change my perspective on life and what's truly important in the long run.
It's been 3 years of hardships. Just one thing after another. It gets exhausting, trust me. When you go through 3 years of no income, family fighting, and times of incredible stress you wonder if good times will ever come. But through these past few years God has faithfully been whispering encouraging words to us be it through other people, dreams or through the Torah portion each week. He kept telling us that He's with us, that' He's going to provide a river in the desert, and that this is all part of His plans for us. When you're in the midst of trials it's easy to give up and think that God has abandoned you 'cause when God stretches you, He doesn't do it gently and because He's a good God, His methods and reasons for doing something invades every area of your selfish lifestyle. We are selfish. We want a selfish life and that's the opposite of what God wants for us. So a lot of the time we can stamp our feet and cry because we don't like what He's doing. And since that our initial reaction He works on that. Ever heard that when you get squeezed your true self comes out? Yeah, and it can get ugly.
 God says that He will refine us like gold is refined so i decided to Google how exactly gold is refined. It gets heated to a very hot temperature until all impurities are removed ..... damn.
So i guess that's what has been happening to me and my family: heated to a very hot temperature until all impurities are removed.

Currently we all are bunking with my grandmother in her tiny little flat. Some of us are on the couch and some of us are on the floor. Lets just say that with some other problems, the living conditions are less than glamorous. But when you've been homeless twice you start to fully understand why God stresses the fact that we need to care for the needy. When everything's safe and peachy in your life the natural human instinct is to care all about you and to detach yourself from other people's problems, so God sometimes takes drastic measures and strips you of everything and puts you in their shoes that then you can finally understand why it is so important.

We have no job, home or car of our own ... until recently. The number 3 in the Bible is the number of completion. Yeshua in the tomb for 3 days, Jonah in the whale for 3 days, Joseph in prison for 3 years etc.. Mark stopped flying on the 2nd of October 2011, and now God has provided a job for Mark in Botswana which he starts on the 1st of October 2014. Exactly 3 years apart. Mark jokes that overnight he has become second in command ... in an airplane, lol.

About a year ago we sold our car 'cause we needed the money. My perpetually grumpy grandfather has been driving us around which can really bring a person down because of the constant complaining and disrespect. But joy of joys on Friday God provided for us our very own car!!! I was so amazed and so ecstatic especially how it all came about. We can so easily take for granted a simple car when we've had one for our whole life but when it gets stripped away from you, you realize what a true blessing a simple car can be. Yes, God has stripped away but just like Job, God stripped everything away to test his heart but then at the end God restored everything plus more. I truly believe that just like the physical winter is over so is our spiritual winter. Our car used to be a rusty old Toyota Taz but God has given us a Mercedes-Benz C280. It's not a very modern car but it has a nice interior and a radio along with air-con which is a huge help in the African summer. The winter season is a hard season but at the same time winter is essential because it destroys all the germs that would increase if life was a perpetual summer.

God is restoring and I feel like some life has been breathed into me that has given me strength to keep conquering the battles that we still have to face. But it looks like good times are on the horizon.

BARUCH HASHEM!!!!

When i sat in that car i felt like i was on top of the world. I couldn't stop smiling and thanking God. With the sun shining, the radio turned up and some white rum later to celebrate, life felt gooooood!