Restorative Friendship

Restorative Friendship:  this kind of loving restorative friendship is rare but it is the kind of friend we all should strive to be.  In the beautifully scripted French film, Chocolat, an outsider enters a beautiful French village and opens a shop with her meager funds. In her heart, she was full of adventure and always looking to spread joy and love. The village she entered held tightly to traditions and frowned upon anyone with new ideas. The church was a big part of the village, but instead of providing unconditional love, conditional was the way. The conditions depended upon the way the village had always operated. As she began her little adventure in the village, perhaps because of wounds, she was confronted and confessed she wasn't a religious person.....so she was gossiped about in the little village where church was more of a social event than a place for healing. In life, talk does little to refresh one's spirit. Unconditional love seems to be the answer. Her little shop became a haven for the unloved and wounded in spirit.  She used the resources that she had, though meager, to accept, love, and repair what had been broken in others.  It worked!  The entire little village was changed because of her choice to act instead of just talk.  Oh, how I pray we can leave our own selves for a short while and act on behalf of those who are hurting.  If we could.........the world would be a more wonderful place! Love someone today without any expectations and trust God's power to change the situation!  Everyday is a gift to share love and grace in the lives of others who pass our way!