As I walked down the cobblestones steps, I was amazed at what I saw. With each step I was met with a new surprise…the rushing of the waterfalls, the serene river meandering its way through the city, the smell of spicy mexican food, fresh bread and a mix of numerous different kinds of food, the beautiful plants and intricate architectural designs all brought a feeling of being in a different land. However I found myself only a few states away from home…I was at the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. I had always wanted to visited this magical place after seeing pictures of this river that runs below the city streets. As I read about the history of this city, I found out that San Antonio experienced a disastrous flood in September of 1921. To ensure this would not happen again, they planned on building a dam which would bypass the Downtown area and then pave over the dried up waterway. However, there were many that protested this idea and in 1929 architect Robert Hugman submitted plans for what we now know as the River Walk. It became this beautiful 2.5 mile long walk along the river which lies one story below the streets. It is filled with delightful restaurants, shops and hotels.
I began to think how often problems in our lives can make us ugly. San Antonio experienced terrible flooding and their initial solution was to stop the beautiful water and put in paved roads. However one man envisioned taking this problem and creating something beautiful instead. God is the master architect in our lives. He is notorious for taking what others consider the “worst thing that could happen to you” and making it beautiful. Isaiah 66:9 says, “I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord.” (NCV) I am reminded to allow the things in my life that I don’t particularly like, the things that are painful, frustrating and ugly, to be turned into the most beautiful part of me. God specializes in the before and after renovations.
