He Restores What the Locusts Ate

June 25, 2025 – My 63rd Birthday

Today I turn 63. And I can say with full confidence: this has been the year of seeing and hearing.
The Lord, in His mercy, opened my eyes and unstopped my ears. I am awake—truly awake. And this birthday feels more like a re-birth.

For years, I clung to the Scripture in Joel 2:25:

“I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten…”

I believed it. I quoted it. But somewhere deep down, I expected the restoration to look like material things. A house repaired. A relationship healed. A savings account replenished. I longed for those things. And sometimes I still do.

But this year, the Lord taught me something deeper.

The locusts didn’t just eat things—they devoured my joy, my peace, my time, and my song. They swarmed in through addiction, shame, rejection, and regret. They stripped bare the fields of my soul. And though I walked and smiled and served, I often did so with a hollow ache inside.

But God.
He didn’t just stop the locusts—He planted new seed. He tilled the soil of my heart, with tears and truth, and now I see green shoots breaking through.

This year, He restored:

My prayer life
My hunger for His Word
My confidence as His daughter
My sobriety—month by month
My ability to rejoice even when nothing looks “fixed”

Today, I celebrate not just another year of life, but a year of spiritual restoration.

I thought the best part of this verse was “He will restore”.
But now I know: the sweetest part is “I will restore to you.”
He sees me. He knows my years. And He is not wasteful with my pain.

So here I am, 63 years young, with praise on my lips and a testimony in my chest.
He has restored the years.
He is still restoring them.
And He is worthy of all the glory.

Happy birthday to me. All the honor to Him. 🙌