Cornerstone
On September 18, 1793, a then President George Washington laid the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building. This would later become the home of the legislative branch of the American government. The cornerstone was the beginning of a monumental project for a young country, but it was a critical first step to its viability of a country.
The cornerstone is a critical stone in any construction project no matter the size. It is the first stone set as part of the foundation. Once that stone is placed, all other stones will be positioned according to how the cornerstone is set. It is critical to an entire building that the cornerstone and foundation are positioned correctly. The foundation is the most important part of the building as it is what keeps a building strong at its base. If a foundation is not square and/or straight then the building will have problems with the remainder of the build as well as life after construction.
Human lives are very similar to the cornerstone and a construction project. How we build our body’s foundation through physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being determines the strength of our overall health and happiness. Our cornerstone must be built off of our spiritual well-being and faith. This can then help fuel and guide our physical, emotional and social well-being.
Remember, the cornerstone of the United States Capital building may have been laid in 1793, but the project would not be fully completed for nearly a century later. Architects came and went, the British set the building on fire during the War of 1812 and it was called to use during the Civil War. There were countless set backs on the project but with perseverance and hard work the Capital Building was completed.
Life is much the same. We are going to have set backs, take a wrong turn and eat the wrong food. We must keep our cornerstone at the center of our life to build off of. Life is always needing some work with an update or a remodel. When we keep moving forward building off of our cornerstone, we will see a transformation happen within us leading to a more prosperous and grateful life.
What is the cornerstone in your own life right now? This is a hard question that we must be able to hold ourself accountable to.
Our cornerstone is our love for each other, our daughter and dogs along with our faith in Jesus. We have had to have some remodeling done to our hearts at times, but together with our faith we stayed centered. This can be challenging at times, but it is worth it long term.
In 2012, a Christian Band called Hillsong released an album with a song called “Cornerstone.” This song is known across the world and happens to be one of our favorite songs to listen to together. There is a part of the song that goes like this:
“Christ alone, cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Savior's love
Through the storm
He is Lord, Lord of all
When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
My anchor holds within the veil”
The song is illustrating how powerful the cornerstone in our life can truly be. We must remember Christ is there as the weak are made strong and also there through any storms that may arise. When building our life, our cornerstone must be in Christ and then the rest of our foundation can be built off of it.
Transformations happen when we have a strong cornerstone in Jesus and our life flows from there.
XOXO
Mark and Megan