Third Tuesday of Advent

LORD, you were favorable to your
          land,
    you restored the fortunes of
          Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your
          people,
    you pardoned all their sin.     Selah
You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God, of our
         salvation . . .
           Psalm 85 1-4a

We could do with a little restoration these days.  At one time in lives, this seemed like the best time of the year.  We couldn't wait to get the box of Christmas out of storage and decorate the house.  We went out and got a real tree, not that artificial thing; we baked, decorated, boxed and delivered dozens of sugar cookies; we sang Christmas carols non-stop.

But it is the middle of December and we are beat down, frazzled beyond words.  The cards are scattered on the table unsigned, the gifts clutter the closets, the party invitations are unopened, and stress keeps ringing the doorbell.  Why don't we just crawl back into bed and pull the covers over our heads?!  We need a delivery of energy, a cuppa energy, a booster shot of restored spirits.

And so, like the psalmist, we wonder, we hope, we pray that God will restore us.  Not in the sense of that hot August night, big tent, hellfire and brimstone revival, but simply bringing us back to life, simply giving us life once again.  Will God do it?
   restore those senses numbed by the songs of commercialism;
   restore hearts hardened by too many appeals for help;
   restore peace in those who lives are too hurried, too harried;
   restore goodness to us - that simple gift so we can survive
      the complexities of our lives?

Restore us again, O God, of our salvation, restore us!

(c) 2011  Thom M. Shuman