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Wall of Stories  

History oozes out if its pores—literally.

On Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, the spire-topped Tribune Tower clutches at the sky. Every time I walk past, I can’t just walk past.  I linger.  Stare.  Ponder the wall of stories. 

Constructed in 1925, the imposing gothic icon is embedded with stone and brick fragments of impressive pedigree.  Built right into the walls of the Tribune Tower are actual pieces from…

  • The Berlin Wall
  • The Alamo
  • Wartburg Castle

But that’s just the beginning.  Look further and you will find stones from:

  • The White House
  • Coliseum of Rome
  • Temple in Jerusalem
  • Great Pyramid of Giza

The question I have is the same one you have: How did they get these priceless artifacts?  Do you just write the Prime Minister of Italy and say, “Hey, we’re building something new on Michigan Avenue and we’d love to have a chunk of the Coliseum”?  Think about all the stories represented by those walls!

Back in 2560 B.C. when sweaty workers lugged the first stone of the Great Pyramid into place, nobody knew just how great the Great Pyramid would really be.

In 1067, when the last brick was troweled into Wartburg Castle, nobody knew that hundreds of years later within its walls, Martin Luther would translate the Bible into German.

Those stone workers who chiseled the foundation of the White House could never have foreseen the history that would unfold inside the structure they were building.

But here’s the most impressive truth of all. As a follower of Christ, nobody—absolutely nobody—can tell how grand a story God will write on the walls of your life.

You might not feel like much is going on right now as you try to serve Him faithfully. It might seem that there is little to nothing about your spiritual journey worth even noting.   But I’m sure the Eiffel Tower was not the least bit impressive in the early stages of its construction.  Ditto for the Tower of London.   And the Pentagon must have seemed downright odd until it was finished.

Rest assured, God is constructing a wall of stories in your life. Philippians 1:6 tells us precisely that:

“God is the one who began this good work in in you” (this good story!) “And I’m certain that He won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns” (CEV).

Next time you’re visiting the Windy City, make it a point to visit the Tribune Tower.  Don’t just walk by, either.  Touch the stones.  Feel the history.  And know that God is writing a story in the walls of your life, too!

 

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Jon GaugerJon Gauger

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