God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:19-20

In the world of home restoration… rehabilitation… renovation… resurrection… reimagination – all my favorite “r”-words – there is always something going on. This is kind of why we’re here, because Rebekah (she is my most favorite “R”-word) and I are committed to the principle of reinvention, and we believe that the same truth that animates us about The Good News can play out not only in the people around us but the places where we live, the community and beyond.

The current initiative is landscaping the front of the house. My April post – “Ready, Set – Go!” – outlined the trajectory. June’s “Honoring History & Craft” documented the progress to date. Now today I can share a significant moment where we are almost ready to move into the driveway phase.

It is telling, I believe, that we have selected natural materials for the hardscaping. Prefabricated concrete sections are uniform, easier to assemble and fit together seamlessly – but we own a fealty to the history of this place and also to the craft and artisanship that is steadily being lost amidst so much mass production and prefabrication.

Again, the parallels to faith are striking – God interfacing with us as unique beings rather than carbon-copies, each one of us the product of literally millions of variables. It is our individuality that makes us valuable, and beautiful, and in the image of God, and unpredictable and difficult to understand.

Yet God knows me, and values me, and believes in me and is committed not to forcing me into compliance via rules and uniformity but to bringing all of what is possible into focus and fruition.

This house is unlike any other. So Rebekah and I – with the help of craftsmen such as our friend Gene – seek to uncover and to recreate something special and beautiful. Something, in a sense, holy.

Stay tuned, there is more to come – DEREK