Restoration

Chapter 16

I walk up to the big church building with my mind running all around the place. No matter how hard I try, I can't get used to sleeping alone.
"Mom!"
I stop and look behind me. Andrea runs up to me and hit me with a warm embrace.
"Hi," I kiss her cheek repeatedly. "How are you?"
"Good and you?" she asks and looks at me. I made my hair up a bit different and got into black jeans with an orange shirt. I hate orange, but this shirt is something I never allowed myself to wear. This morning it's the first thing that caught my eyes.
"So, you wear orange?"
My eyes go up to Steven. He smiles at me. I ignore him and look at Andrea that stood back.
"I like it," Sean goes with his dad's question. I giggle awkwardly and scratch my head looking around and then back at them.
"I'm finally opening my own daycare," I tell them and put my hands together in front of me. "I'm already meeting up with a few parents this week and the homecell group is coming to pray tomorrow."
"Ellie's daycare?" Steven asks. I shake my head and put up my shoulders.
"The Pride Land," I reply and smile softly at Sean that raises an eyebrow at me. "I name it after the place in The Lion King. A place where God protects His children."

"I'm desperate for you. All I know to do. Is only to let go and fall at your feet. So just as I am with these empty hands. I give everything all I have all of me. I'm desperate for you," we praise. It's not the sound of the song that brings you to tears, it's the power of the Holy Spirit that fills up the atmosphere and brings you to the feet of Jesus. It's when the Holy Spirit takes control of your body and you burst out in worship. When your tongue starts running with words only God understands. It's in that moment of praying in tongues that the enemy is getting confused and defeated all over again. It's battles Jesus is fighting for us. It's in the way you surrender and keep on pushing towards God's throne. The measure of your freedom will determine the measure of your worship. God, everything I have, every mountain and every obstacle, I put before you. It's a mess, God and I trust You with it because You make all things work together for good.
"When going through a loss, God gives you more. God gives back seven times more than what the enemy has stolen. God is going to restore your health, family, business, and marriage," the pastor says. Everyone jumps to their feet in agreement and claps their hands. "God is the restoration of all things!"
After the altar call, the band came up with an item to perform. I'm always curious about what songs they will sing. Music is such an important aspect of our lives because when we don't know what to say to God, we can still sing our hearts out, and use our voices and talents to express our love for Him.
"You will restore. You restore my soul. Your love has made me whole. You restore it all. You will restore. What the locust stole. Your love has won it all. You restore it all," they sang at the bridge. God will restore, that's true. I believe it and I claim it! He restored me and He'll do it again.
My attention gets drawn by Andrea that stood up and sing since the lyrics are displayed on the screen. Sean gets up as well and lifts his hands. My children are saved and that's the most important thing for me. I only realize now that I was in the midst of losing my kids. They were barely home, where were they staying? With their dad at Charmaine? They could've left me. Maybe they were going to leave. Jesus restored my children back to me. God, this is Your miracle. Everything I have is for You and because of You!

It's been a long time since I've had coffee with Natasha. I must probably follow up with her just to see how she's doing. I enter her kitchen after knocking softly. She's seated at the table looking at a picture in her hands.
"Hi, come in," she greets shortly. I walk up to the table and take a seat. She remains quiet just staring at the picture. I want to start a conversation, but maybe this is a respective time for her. "Ellie, do you think he's in heaven?"
Her eyes moved up to mine. There's a painful look in her eyes.
"Do you think that Thomas is in heaven?" she asks again. I don't know how to answer her. Should I state a fact or comfort her with lies? Truth is, I don't even know the answer myself.
"Thomas was a good man," I reply to her and place my hand on hers.
"Being a good person doesn't take you to heaven," she whispers and looks at the photos again. My heart breaks for her. How long has she even been trying to figure that out? "I'm not even sure if he knew Jesus."
"Tash, Thomas is dead. Sweetheart, I know it hurts. You have all these unanswered questions about where he's spending his eternity, but you will never know until you go to heaven. You can't take a dead person to heaven sweetie, but you can take someone else to heaven."
She nods her head and put the photo down drying up her tears. I get up from the seat and go around hugging her.