Growing up in Iraq, cornerstones were vital to our survival. Most of the houses’ construction was comprised of bricks and concrete. These two materials together provided sturdy architecture that withstood the unimaginable.
For most of my life, the city of Baghdad received a beating almost nightly. Shortly after midnight, a siren would sound off alarming us of the upcoming bombings and sure enough, within minutes, fighter jets were flying over the city launching bombs and missiles. The attacks lasted several hours. They usually came to an end right before dawn. Each morning we would find out the magnitude of the destruction inflicted that night.
Our cornerstones were our shelter during those horrific dark hours. Each night, as the sirens alarmed, my parents would wake my sister and I, my father would hold me tightly and sit in one corner of the house and my mother would hold onto my sister and sit in another corner. We spent endless hours in those corners. As the bombs and missiles exploded, shaking the earth beneath us, the houses rattled. However, the corners stood tall and strong…unwavering. Even though some of the houses did crumble, their corners remained intact for the most part, and saved some of their residents.
The cornerstone is very important, it is strategically placed and carries the weight of the building, it is essential, it stands and it lasts.
Are you the cornerstone in your life? In your work? In your church and community? It is important to be strong and steady to be able to stand firm no matter the obstacle or the storm. So don’t be just any stone, be the cornerstone!