From my Window

From my window at Hotel Costa de Prata in Figeuira da Foz, Portugal, I could see the coast, the fishing harbour, a large open space with cobble stones, a few parked cars and an ancient stone building, almost in ruins, but with a notice of hope: a company has bought it to restore it! What a message lies there!
It is fenced in and secured with special boardwalks for pedestrians in rue Eugeneiro Silva. Most people walk past without giving it the eye. It is nothing to look at, really! The windows are all broken and the roof is rusted, the plaster work has been eroded and fallen off revealing the raw stonework underneath. The iron rails in front of the little balconies are brittle with rust and the marble slats around the window panes and door frames are riddled with holes and cracks.
There is no one inside. There are no birds nesting in the roof or crevices. The building in its dilapedated state is utterly forsaken...its former glory totally forgotten.
In the silence of the October morning Ihear the old building whisper, 'I once was a magnificent edifice...' but the stifled words are shut off from its mute mouth, the door space has been cemented in. Inside is nothing but dirt and dust - its not fit for human occupation now.
But there is a sign outside that says, 'under construction'! This is a sign of hope, a note of faith, a light in the darkness.
Someone saw potential in this old ruin on the beach front. There is someone who is prepared to go to great expenses and trouble to restore it to its former usefulness.
Paul wrote an epistle to Philemon in which he tells him about his former slave Onesimus. Onesimus means ' useful', but Onesimus stole from Philemon and the slave was imprisoned. Paul was innocently imprisoned for the Gospel's sake and found Onesimus in prison. He made a convert of him and sent him back at the time of his release to his former master, Philemon, with a letter from Paul.
In the letter Paul reminded Philemon that the latter owed him his life and that he wanted him to take Onesimus back, not just as a servant, but now as a brother in Christ. He that once was useless to you has become useful in the ministry! Paul offered to pay Philemon anything Onesimus might still owe him. Then Paul ended the letter by saying he will soon visit Philemon as well.
All of us had our lives ruined by sin. Our usefulness waned until we were no longer of any use to anybody. We were cast out on the ash heap of life. No one paid attention to us any longer. People walked right past us without noticing our need. People avoided us like the plague.
But then the Master builder, Jesus Christ, in his mercy took notice of us and looked beyond our ruined state and saw potential in us that no one else could see!
He fenced us in with his love and began the reconstruction process to repair the damage that sin had caused.
Perhaps there is a life out there that needs that sign of hope to be put onto the building!
Paul pleaded with Philemon to receive Onesimus ' as my own heart. he was once unprofitable for you but now he will be profitable for both you and me. For perhaps he departed a while for this purpose: that you might receiv him forever! If he has wronged you or owes you anythng put that on my account!'
Jesus put all our wrong doing and sins on His account and paid for it on the cross with his own blood - without blood there is no remission of sins according to the spiritual law. Here is the good news: God has accepted his offer to purchase your old ruined life so that He might rebuild it again...
Can you see what I saw out of my hotel window in Figeuria?