One of the most satisfying things we get to witness at our two shelters is the restoration of families. It’s not uncommon for a man in our program to graduate and step off the stage into the arms of his wife and children. We’ve seen sisters reunited with long-lost brothers. We’ve seen mothers hold their children again and praying grandmothers thanking God for bringing their prodigal home.
But restoration comes with a price. It requires the rebuilding of trust. It insists on the abandonment of the past. The pain of all those lost years will never fully fade. And in most cases, restoration happens because someone never gave up.
In the movie, “Saving Private Ryan”, a detachment of elite soldiers is sent to find one man, Private James Francis Ryan. Their mission: to locate Ryan and get him home.
You see, he was one of four brothers from an Iowa farming family. All four of them were sent to battle on D-day, and his three brothers were killed. The US Army has a sole survivor policy to protect families from losing more than one member at war. So, the mission that day was to find James Ryan and get him home to his family so they wouldn’t lose all four of their sons.
At great cost and sacrifice, the small detachment of soldiers was successful. Only two of them survived. The ironic thing is that the movie isn’t really about the reunion of Ryan with his family. It is about the sacrifice it took to make it happen.
Six men lost their lives to get one they didn’t even know, back home. And in the end, there was no doubt, they thought it was worth it.
When it comes to our relationships, we have to ask ourselves the question, “Is it worth it?” Is it worth the hard work it will take to stay committed. Is it worth the sacrifice it requires to prefer that person over ourselves. Is it worth the effort it takes to effectively communicate. And is it worth the forgiveness it may take to restore the relationship.
We can’t be the restorer of the broken relationships at our shelters. Only God can do that. But we can point them to God and His Word, which contains all the principles and promises required to have healthy relationships. And that is what we do. Next to introducing them to Jesus, helping them restore and rebuild relationships may be the most important thing we do. It’s worth it.
