Macon’s Moments:Skyscrapers

One of my earliest independent adventures into the world was a cruise that I took between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I remember loading onto a bus in the early hours of the morning and riding for nearly 24 hours straight until we arrived at New York City. I remember coming through the Lincoln tunnel to exit and see the majestic city to my left, and I found myself in wonder at the skyscrapers as we drove through the center of Manhattan. At the time, the World Trade Center was still standing and it pronounced the New York skyline. New York is a city that is dominated by these towering feats of human architecture.

The thing that amazes me isn’t the beauty of the architecture, but the engineering that enables these buildings to hold the colossal burden of both itself and man. Theses buildings face winds that would shred most common structures because of their altitude, but precise engineering and design allow them to withstand even the strongest of winds. Counterweights, allowance for a certain amount of sway, and deep set foundations allow the skyscrapers to tower over the rest of the world. Each part is deeply tested against a high standard so that it can be counted on when the building is complete. Inferior bolts and girders only lead to a weaker building that will not be able to remain strong under the toughest of conditions.
When we look a piece of complex architecture like this, we understand that there is a designer who created this building in their mind, planned it with their hands, and formed it with their voice. As the building was built, the complex plans that the architect or engineer created are meticulously followed giving life to their thoughts, ideas, and voice. The building is more than just steel and glass filled with furnishings and people. It is the embodiment of a single idea reinforced with the standards to allow it to withstand a storm.

Why is it that we can look at a sky scraper and identify that there is strength and safety because of the designer, but doubt our own strength when we look at ourselves in the mirror? We are much like skyscrapers, and we have a designer who gave His voice life. We are designed to withstand so much. God understands us and the burden that we can bear because He is the one that created us. “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust (Psa 103:13-14).”We must remember that God formed us, and will never put us under more stress or struggle than we can stand.