I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. Isaiah 44:22
Once upon a time there was a family who lived amidst beautiful woods, far from civilization. A man had chosen to leave his job in the financial district and move his wife and children to the solitude of this place, away from the noise and bustle of the city—far away from the rigors of duty and the dread of obligation.
Learning to “live off the land” was a challenge for this adventurous dad. But soon he found a resourcefulness he had never known before. Because his home was surrounded by thousands of towering trees—hardwoods and softwoods alike—he discovered wood’s many wonderful uses. The oaks gave the man and his family many hours of slow-burning warmth. The maple trees, the cherry trees, and the walnut trees provided an excellent source for furniture-making. And the pines and cedars provided the man with materials for building. The softness and malleable nature of this wood also gave him hours of enjoyment as he discovered the pleasure of carving and whittling. He had no idea that he could create such beautiful things with his own hands. If the guys back at the brokerage firm could see me now, he would muse. Even his wife and children were impressed with the beauty of his work.
Years passed. Things changed. Decades of going about the duties of raising a family had taken their toll on the intimacy the man and his wife had once enjoyed. Open conversation had given way to a cool exchange of facts. Tenderness had been replaced with utility. One by one, the man’s children grew, leaving their father’s forest home to seek their own fortunes. Were it not for the man’s visits to his work shed, now full of statues and sculptures, he would have found himself completely alone. Somehow the grace with which he had fashioned each piece provided a comfort and solace he hadn’t thought possible.
Late one night a spring thunderstorm raged through the woods. Lightning filled the sky with such repetition that there were times when it almost seemed like midday. Flashes followed quickly on the heels of each other.
And then there was an explosion, the unmistakable crack that lightening makes when its descent greets the earth. Leaping from his bed, the man ran to see what had happened. There, through his window, the man saw his shed, burning with such intensity that he could hear the sizzling and popping over the sound of the storm. Running from his house, still wearing only his night clothes, the man stood helplessly in the pouring rain watching his small barn, filled with the things he had tenderly created, burn so completely that nothing was left. Nothing but black smoldering ashes. The only thing darker than this lingering residue was the soul of this lonely man.
When his children had left their home, he had lost part of his heart. When his affection for his wife had chilled, another portion of his soul had been stilled. And now, all that he had left to love was gone forever.
“Return to me” (v. 22), says the Lord. “When all the things you had hoped in, everything you had hoped for, are gone, I am here. I will pardon you and heal you. I will restore what the flames have destroyed. I will heal your broken soul. I will mend your severed relationships. I have redeemed you.”