Joe was unfaithful to his wife by having an affair with another woman. Resigned to believe that the grass would really be greener on the other side, and feeling like too much damage had already been done to repair what was broken, Joe packed his things to leave for good when the phone rang. On the phone was an old friend pleading with Joe to stop and think twice before he made the choice to throw everything away.
Joe reluctantly went to meet with his friend. His friend helped re-direct Joe’s heart, and reminded him of the “Joe” he used to know. Joe realized what he needed to do. He raced back home, hoping for the chance to beg for forgiveness from his best friend. He expected to find a cold shoulder or a door slammed in his face, and knew he would deserve it, but was willing to do anything to get his marriage back. Instead of finding a cold shoulder, Joe returned home to find his wife running to meet him in the driveway, wrapping him in an embrace he would never forget.
Matthew, moved by Joe’s story of redemption, wrote the song Restored. Although Joe walked away from the riches of God’s blessing of marriage, God’s grace stepped in nonetheless. With God’s help, Joe’s wife found the strength to forgive Joe and was able to trust that God would restore a marriage that the enemy tried to destroy.
