Restore What Was Lost: Jubilee Year

Restore What Was Lost

I have a friend who loves to restore old cars, and another who restores old furniture. They love to bring things back to their original condition. But what happens when something is gone for good—can it ever be restored?

I’ve been thinking about this because 2016 is the Jewish year of Jubilee, a time when debts are forgiven, slaves set free, and you receive back what was lost.

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Our Skype Christmas Party

The shipping box stood tall next to the Christmas tree, waiting for our Skype Christmas party. None of our kids could make it home, so a virtual holiday was my idea. I just wanted to get everyone face-to-face, and so we worked around our son’s schedule because he was deployed overseas. Overcoming time zones, we gathered from Eastern Europe, Colorado, Texas, and Connecticut for a very out-of-the-ordinary Christmas.

“We want you to open our gift,” one of my daughters blurted out. “We want to see your expression.”

I put the tall box into view of the video lens and opened the carton. I pulled out the packing material to discover a vintage 1960 Chatty Cathy doll—with blonde hair, no less. I’m not sure what my face revealed, but this was totally unexpected. They knew the story of my Chatty Cathy. But, I hadn’t thought about my childhood doll for years.

“Where did you find this?” I said, turning her around to find the ring that pulled the string to make her talk.

“Ebay.” the girls replied in unison.

“I—Love—You.” Chatty Cathy crooned as the string retreated.

Chatty Cathy Memories

My sister and I got Chatty Cathy dolls one Christmas from our grandparents. Mine had blonde hair. My sister’s had dark hair. I remember pulling the string and hearing her talk. I remember her freckles. And I remember my Chatty Cathy being destroyed with a hammer under the neighbor’s porch—my sister and the neighbor wanted to see how she worked.

My emotions surrounding my loss are fuzzy now, but I remember getting my sister’s doll as a replacement didn’t quite make up for it—she had the wrong color hair.

That was fifty years ago.

God’s Love Restores

To receive a Chatty Cathy doll from my daughters is the perfect illustration to this word – RESTORE. Then it dawned on me…the year of Jubilee—being given back what was taken from you. How is it possible that Chatty Cathy was restored to me in the year of Jubilee?

The metaphors that rolled around in my heart on this one—Oh my! Only God could have known. Only God can restore. And, I gleaned more about God’s grace and knowledge through a Chatty Cathy doll of all things.

I realized how God cares about even the smallest thing. But I think what touched me most through this story, is God restored Chatty Cathy not only in a Jubilee year, but fifty years after her destruction. It’s my jubilee year too. It may seem like a small thing, but it spoke volumes to me. Who would imagine a 1960 Chatty Cathy doll still existed.

So much of our hurt, injustice and loss are buried by time—but God who transcends time releases them with the shout of jubilee.

Nothing is beyond God’s Power.

What needs to be restored in your life? My heart wants you to know that God sees every part of what was taken away from you, and in His time, He will bring restoration in the most amazing way.

Do you have a restoration story?

I would love to hear your restoration stories! Be sure to share in the comments below.

Jeanne

Courtesy of YouTube, you can watch the vintage commercial advertising the Chatty Cathy doll.

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Elizabeth George has the pulse on a woman’s heart and our need for restoration and healing: