Laura Kaczor ‘Restore Me’

Written by: Laura Chambers (7/2/15)

It’s no easy thing to stand looking back at the way your life used to be, wondering what if and wishing for a second chance. To be unable to escape the emptiness and aridity of the barren wasteland that is your soul. In this aching for rescue and relief, various options call out to us, claiming to be able to fill the places we cannot. If only we could drown out their calls and hear the still, small voice of God instead. Laura Kaczor’s message on Restore Me is one of waiting and trusting that the Lord is the only one who can remake us and bring us to completion.

In “Forever”, Kaczor shows us that keeping a distance between ourselves and God will only hurt us in the end. We believe that we’re capable of making our own way through life, so we pull away and try to be independent. Though we’ve left God, He will never leave us. “You Know” takes the next step of faith, resolving that since God knows how it will all work out, better to trust Him and do what He asks than let your fear borne of ignorance make you ineffective. We may feel unqualified for the task at hand, but He doesn’t require us to be able, just willing. “Restore Me” rejoices in both the assurance that God’s love isn’t dependent on anything we do and His strength will always be enough for us. We may be tempted to give up, believing that we can’t possibly succeed against the challenges we face, but we can find the ability to withstand trials in God’s strength. “We Don’t Always Understand” encourages us to continue to believe in God’s goodness, even when it doesn’t make any sense to us. Instead of withdrawing from His presence, we should come even closer to Him in these times. He is working towards some greater goal, using even the tragedies to bring Himself glory and work wonders in our lives. “Rain Down” encourages God to pour glory out from the sky. He has more than enough love, mercy, and freedom to give us. Straight praise, no filler, with a chorus that’s easy to repeat.

“Once and For All” reminds us of the sacrifice Christ gave for us, the permanence of it. He died when we should have been the ones to give our lives as punishment for our sins. Because of this, we don’t owe anything anymore; He bought us with His death. “Only You” places God in a category all by Himself; the only God and King over all; the only one worthy of worship. He has no beginning and no end, and He chose to die for us when nobody else would or could be a perfect sacrifice for our souls. “You Make Me Brave” resolves that God is stronger than anything that comes against us. Compared to our fears, we are small, but compared to Him, they are miniscule. What else can we do but give ourselves to Him? By resting in God, we can be bolder than we would be if we faced it alone. He hears us when we call out for help.

“If The Path Was Straight” describes the moment when we realize what God has called us to. We may only see the next step we’re supposed to take, with no idea what new choices will crop up as a result of going that way, but that’s okay. Having to zig zag and hold on for a wild ride will grow our faith more than continuing on at a steady pace in the same direction all the time. Speaking as a person who doesn’t like being interrupted by the curveballs life throws, I really liked the attitude of this track. Got to be more like that in the future. Lastly, “Greater” asks Jesus to have more of a part to play in our motivations and actions. Abandoning what we believe we want to follow Jesus, even if He doesn’t give it to us, is the only way He can be glorified in our lives.

Whether you desire to become what you always should have been, or seek an even deeper understanding of God’s love than you have now, it begins by asking Him to repair our brokenness and supply what we are lacking. Restore Me weaves the themes of trust and surrender throughout, producing an honest and devoted voice that single-mindedly points us towards greater things.