The Renovating Reverend

We’ve turned a corner. The work on the house has now reached a point at which we can see that progress is obviously being made, most notably in the front parlor – it is now all finished, complete with curtains, picture rail moulding, artwork hanging from the picture rail moulding…and a Christmas tree. It’s like an oasis of completion in a desert of disorder. However, so much work is still in progress, or has yet to be started. For example, mere inches away from the front parlor oasis of done-ness, the back parlor still features crackled paint on the woodwork, sagging plaster, and peeling wallpaper. Depending on which way you turn, you get a different feeling about the place.

If you’re looking at the outside of the house, you’d get a similar effect. Steve finished painting the house last month. The other day, he put up icicle lights, and set up a few inflatable characters in the yard. A woman who lived in our house in the 40s and 50s stopped by while Steve was hanging the lights, and he invited her in to see the progress we’ve made. She laughed about the various states that different parts of the house are in, both inside and out—that casual passersby would see the outdoor paint job and the decorations, and would never guess there was so much work going on inside.

As we begin the holiday “season of light,” when many hopeful celebrations take place during the darkest time of year, may we remember that what we see with our eyes does not necessarily reflect the full reality of the situation. Keep looking for the light, and, if you see it burning brightly, share your love, hope, and help with others.