Restored
Years ago, a rusty red chest of drawers caught my eye amidst the clothes, small kitchen appliances and knick-knacks. I opened the drawers to find real, unpainted wood – dusty and unused. In an age before YouTube and 24-hour access to home improvement shows, this well-past-prime furniture piece needed a creative hand. With my Dad’s guidance, I took on the challenge of learning to strip the paint, sand it smooth and stain it a neutral color.
In the small garage of my little house, in the middle of the Texas summer heat, I worked. The simple, sealed bare wood – with funky blue and yellow knobs – soon stood, restored, in the corner of the bedroom.
Resurrected
In the darkened sanctuary my heart beat along with the deep rhythm of the drums. Without warning, tears brimmed. The lyrics washed over my soul and swept me back to my Gram’s small church. Suddenly, I sang beside her with the simple accompaniment of piano and organ. Then, in the present moment again, the lyrics the same, the notes different, the worship timeless – an old hymn resurrected.
Revived
Just a few chapters in, my brow furrows. The characters begin to feel almost familiar, but I can’t quite place them. A prince with a dark past requires a girl to save him from who he’s become. Slightly similar, yet deeply different. Now I see, it’s a tale as old as time, with twists, turns and a new setting. My body settles in for the recognizable storyline, something classic revived.
Solstice
The chill in the air whips through our jackets. In our new, nightly walk rhythm, my love and I spot a smattering of leaves clinging desperately to the otherwise bare twigs in a tree just off our path. Their brilliant orange glows in the streetlight, a remnant of autumn refusing to fall.
We stand at the official end of fall and approach Winter Solstice with trepidation. Darkness surrounds us. We groan under the weight of the darkest day of the year.
And yet, the light begins to expand tomorrow. Solstice’s long shadow signals the final stretch of days in which the darkness expands its grip on light. It feels right, in this season, to start anew. To move toward light. The Hope of Advent has arrived. The calendar page will be flipped to a new year.
I will allow the Light to expand within me, too, to restore, resurrect and revive.
A Prayer for Winter Solstice
Lord of the Heavens and the Earth,
You set the Heavens in place and created the Earth.
You mark the moon, the sun and the seasons.
You promise to make all things new. Revive us.
We sing of a weary world rejoicing. We are the burdened and tired. Fill our hearts with the thrill of hope that echoes in our songs.
During the day when darkness encroaches longest on the light, remind our souls You are LIGHT.
Your hope is here, with us.
-Amen