Ich bin ihnen sehr dankbar.

This German sentence translates to English as “I am grateful for you.”

Today I want to express gratitude for those who have encouraged us on our way.  Ryan at Athletico Physical Therapy who guided me through months of appointments that has allowed me to walk the streets in these foreign cities and see marvelous things.  Max and Sharon for answering a million questions and sharing their enthusiasm for Viking River Cruises.  

I am thankful to the Elders at Wildewood for giving me the time away and for the staff who sternly told me to relax and not worry about the church.  I am grateful for Mike Cunningham, Dennis Brown, Jackson McCann and Linda Roberts among others who stepped up during my absence.  

Of course, we are thankful to God for providing beauty everyday.  Even in the rain we find the rainbows, in the cool of autumn we find the warmth of his presence and his glory in the sunshine of the afternoons.

Day Two: Cologne

The main focus of the walking tour today, for me at least, is the ancient cathedral in the center of this ancient city.  Built over the course of 600 years, construction began in 1228 and was considered completed in 1880.  However, if you ask anyone, the cathedral will never be completed because a myth says that the devil made a deal with the original architect. 

The legend is that the devil lost the bet and cursed the cathedral by saying that no one would ever lay the final block and if it ever was completed, this would signal the end of the world. So, even to this day, no one has ever placed the final stone.

Those who began this epic construction project knew they would never see the completion of the church because God is always building his church from the beginning to eternity. 

What these craftsmen did know, is they worked as a labor of love on something that lasts forever.  They understood that these artists were ultimately performing a spiritual task.  Called by God, gift by him and engaged in a God sized task for generations.  They built in order to ‘glorify God’ rather than stroke the egos of the architect.  They did not wish to give credit to a king or even to promote themselves.  This is true for the stone carvers as much as it is for the music composers, the painters, carpenters and textile weavers.

As we walk among the artistry that has survived the bombs of war, the rages of fire, the neglect of the unfaithful.  Yet the work still speaks. 

I wonder what I did today that will outlive me and bring honor and glory to God.  What creative task is God call us to add to the story of the church.  I strain to hear their voices still echoing in the rafters.

Thanks for reading, following and commenting.  

 -Ron and Becky