Renowned architect and builder Gustave Eiffel faced years of delays and red tape. As the plans were drawn, Parisians complained that its height – at more than 1,000 feet the tallest structure on earth at that time – would present incredible dangers. The structure would change weather patterns, attract supercharged lightning bolts, cast shadows that would stunt nearby plant growth and be too massive for the ground to support, they protested.
Eiffel placed his considerable fortune at risk – personally guaranteeing any losses of life, limb or property – to make his dream come true.
Girder by girder, beam by beam this masterpiece started coming together in a very slow, purposeful process. Such a structure had never been built before. There were successes and setbacks throughout its more than two-year construction. Yet, on March 31, 1889 the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated, and it transformed the Paris skyline forever. Today it’s the most visited structure in the world, with more than 200 million visitors since it opened.
Transformation is difficult. It takes time. We can’t rush it. It can be painful. We have to let Jesus in. We need to let go of old things and embrace new ones. But in the process our skyline is forever changed.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I place myself at your feet, opening my heart to all you would show me and allowing you the space to transform me. Amen.
Ed Klodt
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you do not know how to leave a comment, please select "comment as" and then either "Name/URL" and type your name and webpage (if you don't have a webpage you can leave "URL" blank). Or you can select "annonymous" if you would like to omit your name. Once you do that you can type your comment in the box. Thanks.