23 Pt. 7
“He restores my soul” Psalm. 23:3
In the years between high school and marriage, when I wasn’t attending college, I worked in my father’s restaurant as a short order and prep cook. Dad’s place was well-known for its home cooking. I was an abysmal baker but pretty good with meats; So one of my jobs was to make the sausage. Weekly I would grind, spice and bake-off about a hundred pounds of pork for our breakfast patrons.
About three weeks before my wedding I began experiencing nervous jitters that resulted in difficulty focusing. Still, I managed to keep things pretty well together, until one afternoon when I was experiencing a particularly potent round of pre-wedding jitters. I forgot the spicing stage in the sausage making. I didn’t realize my mistake until I had completely cooked off sixty pounds of pork loaf. I am assuming most of you have never done this. Let me just say there is absolutely no way you can redeem pork loaf in the restaurant business. I was quite sure I would never make it to the altar if my father found out (his anger was a thing to behold); So in fear I hid the pork loaf for four days under a fifty pound box of lettuce.
Emotions are powerful things. In their grip many have left the world of reason and have made choices that left the world gaping in disbelief. Meanwhile those caught in the grip of feeling wondered why no one else could understand what they did.
Our culture puts great stock in being led by feeling. We probably shouldn’t. God made feelings to be a part of our souls. He didn’t make them to be the “be all and end all”. He certainly did not intend for us to be led by our feelings. We are to be spirit led by the voice of God and His revelation to us.
So part of restoring my soul has been getting my emotions out of the driver’s seat and into the back seat where they can make helpful suggestions without calling the shots.
I should probably finish by telling you that eventually I had to confess to my father (you can’t hide pork loaf forever). I lived to see my wedding day. My fear reaction turned out to be unfounded. That wasn’t the last time I let fear rule the roost though. He has worked with me again and again in this area. I am to this day being restored in my emotions.
How has God restored you in the area of emotions?
Lillie-Put 
You HID the pork loaf? Sorry, but I am laughing WITH you.
Emotions are tricky things. For years I felt shame for the incident that brought me to my knees before the Lord. I was emotionally crippled. How could I ever share my testimony? One year, while attending a ladies’ retreat, the Holy Spirit broke that yoke of bondage and set me free.
Yes I hid the pork loaf. I was terribly afraid of my dad’s anger. Emotions are tricky we often serve them when they are meant to serve us!
>> “How has God restored you in the area of emotions?”
I was told every day, and often more than once a day, for 11 years, that I was a freak and totally evil; that no one would ever want me, so I might as well do the world a favour and kill myself. It certainly did nothing for my self esteem. In fact, I had none. No one loved me and no one would ever even like me. I achieved much, but it didn’t alter the situation.
Then, when I was 22 years old, my life was changed completely when I cam to know that there was a God – a living God who loved me with such a great love that He gave His most Precious for me. He purchased me with the atoning blood of His dear Son and He adopted me into His own family.
I was no longer ‘totally evil’ because He had given me His own righteousness. ‘No one would ever want me’ was no longer true because the omnipotent, perfect God, the creator of the universe wanted me.
Yes, He restored me in every way. He made me a new person and I’ve now praised Him for almost 55 years.
Angela I never tire of hearing your testimony. The love and grace of Jesus shines through it so brightly I am refreshed with each telling. Thank you for the light of Christ you are so faithful to shine!