This is a story time that my shopping crazed friend Brenda of becominghistapestry.com will enjoy. 🙂
Each of my trips to Romania we flew into Bucharest and then went to Constanta. My denomination had a guest apartment in Bucharest for missionaries that our groups could use.
From the apartment, we could see a large steel frame that stayed that way for years. I asked a missionary who lived there what the frame was. He explained that it was going to be the first feeding center the dictator was going to use to control the people by having everyone go to feeding centers for their meals. The frame had stayed a unused shell since the revolution of 1989. It was in 1997 I learned about it.
When we returned in October 1999, the frame had been turned into a western style shopping mall. It was a modern shopping mall. What had been planned to be a way to control the people by the communists was turned into a symbol of the west- A Shopping Mall.
I only went there for the supermarket to get food, but others were excited to check it out. My thinking is that if you have seen one shopping mall, you have seen them all.
However, it was amazing to see the transformation from a bare frame of steel girders and beams to a modern colorful shopping mall.
God transforms lives that are broken. It is much more amazing for me to see how Jesus can change a person’s life. It doesn’t matter what label we have before we come to Jesus, he can transform us. 2 Corinthians 5 says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!”
We may feel like an empty shell for many reasons, but with Jesus we can become a new creation.
Thank you for reading. God Bless.
Jesusluvsall's Blog 
Wow! Wonderful story Matt. When I read the part that said the dictator was planning to control people by monitoring what they eat, I remember the passage in Revelation that said the beast will prevent people from buying or selling unless they have its mark. It shows that God is able to turn things around for good.
Amen little sister. God can turn any situation around 🙂
We sure were empty shells till Jesus came and filled us up! God is so good!
Amen little sister. 🙂
🙂
That’s a great example of how God transforms lives. You didn’t buy any clothes big brother? 😊
No clothes that is too stressful 🙂
I love this testimony of how something empty and meant for bondage can be turned into something beautiful and free. Praise God that He rescues us from bondage!
I am thankful he rescues us 🤗
Wonderful testimony and analogy of what God can do with us! Thanks for sharing this with us! Blessings, brother! ☺
Thank you little sister. God bless 🤗❤️🤗
Thank you for sharing this memory of Romania. The people there are still struggling to move their country forward from the long shadow of the former communist regime.
Yes they are. It is so sad what communism does