Your house needs a little spring cleaning. In addition to jobs around the house that are manageable and easy to do, you have to hire painters to give it a professional flare. All appears set to go, and the house will look pristine. Excitement builds as the vision of new possibilities bring joy and hope.
The painters arrive, and immediately the house becomes a place of chaos. There are no places to sit, no places to land, and no places from which to work. All that we know is that the promise of beauty is on the horizon. We only must be patient. The old will become new and faith will deliver us to greatness; even in the worst of circumstances.
This season of the year extends an invitation to repaint our souls with the brush of God. The handiwork of Divine action creates a new way of relating to our world. Faith is made fresh, organized in a way that never existed before. As new creatures, we live in the passion of Christ.
And as for the painters that did an amazing job on the house, they are indeed gifted. How would I have ever known the beauty of a newly painted home if I had not been open to a good spring cleaning? The only way to see the joy of a new day is to endure the darkest of nights. Promise gives way to reality, and hope shines the light on endless possibilities.
Today, I am grateful for a wonderfully painted house that reminds me of a fresh new way forwards. In this time of Lent, we know that the darkness will not outshine the light. The Son will triumph, and we will understand a rich and powerful faith that guides our way. Praise be to God for our journey that creates new ways of being in the presence of the Creator.
From a Pastor's Point of View 