Dark-----> Light

What a hot mess we can make of our lives.  It's true.  I've most certainly made a mess of myself more than a few times.  But there it is--the point of the cross.  The purpose.  Jesus meets us in the mess of our lives.  He comes in and wants to pick us up, dust us off, clean up the mess, and put a new song in our hearts and on our lips.  That's how good He is. 

I've been thinking about light and dark.  Dark and light.  I want more of the light.  I want more of God in my day.  I started thinking about this yesterday morning actually--after a weekend where i experienced both light and dark.  Apart from God, how can we truly experience light? Think about it.  I've been to the dark place.  You've probably been there too.  Sometimes we have to make the mistakes--sometimes experience what the bottom of the pit feels like--before we ask Him to come in and intercede on our behalf. 

Last night i heard a definition of revival.  A revival is the degree to which a city moves from dark to light.  Dark to light.  Oh Lord, how i'm hungry for a revival in this city--but also in my heart.  I want heart change.  I want the light. 

So yesterday was interesting.  I was walking Sophie after work.  Just as i do everyday, atleast twice a day.  A lady was in my path.  But not just any lady--a lady that warned me about two months ago not to let my dog "do her business" in her yard.  I was offended and held up my pooper scooper (true story) and said that i clean up after my dog. She repeated what she said with a scowl on her face. What an angry, bitter old woman.  So here i am yesterday, faced with the same woman.  I said "hi" and she came up to me and introduced herself to me, shook my hand, and loved on Sophie.  I was in disbelief.  We sat there and talked for about 15 minutes.  Turns out, she only had 5% of her hearing (which is probably why i thought she was 'yelling' at me that day a couple months ago.) She's had cancer 3 times.  Her entire family has passed away.  All in all, it sounds like she has walked a difficult path.   This was not the same woman, i thought to myself.  This woman could not have been any nicer.  She was just precious.  She ended up asking me to come sit on her porch and talk sometime.  Blown. Away.

Dark. To light.  That's a small example of how God can take something that feels dark and angry and bitter and turn it into joy and kindness and light.  I finished up my walk with Sophie and just smiled to myself. 

Grace. 

I love when God turns the darkness into light and puts a new song on our hearts. 

"Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth.....the Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes."Isaiah 42:10-13.

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all people! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praied; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the people are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before himl strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Psalm 96:1-6.