“Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” – Luke 1:78-79

It’s another beautiful fall morning in North Carolina. It was 38-degrees and sunny when I walked Scout; the perfect invigorating, “wake-me-up,” “now I’m ready for some hot coffee,” start to the day.

Last week I posted all those photographs of the new kitchen, pristine and ready for a magazine cover, but the real point of all that cabinetry, granite, hardwood, tile, lighting, and stainless steel is good food, living in the space with Rebekah, and enjoying our home.

So, although I do clean everything to perfection after every meal, a great kitchen is more about untidy countertops, and fresh herbs on the cutting board, and pots on the stove, and dogs waiting patiently for the inevitable spills, than it is gleaming surfaces and everything in its place.

Fact is, “in its place” means “all over the place” if I’m making good use of my blessings.

And the same is true of how I live my faith out loud. Jesus makes me all shiny and new, certainly – healing me, restoring me, and replenishing me with good gifts – but I am made whole for a purpose, and that purpose is to be light and life and love in this world.

I like the way John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, described the ministry of Jesus in Luke 1:78-79.

“Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

May we all take our shiny, new, restored lives from Sunday, and let them get untidy and messy in the real world, as we do what we were made new in order to accomplish. Breaking in like a dawning; living the Gospel of Love like morning light from heaven.

– DEREK