GREATER: 5 Days of Inspiration to Increase Your FaithSample

DAY 3 - A GREATER PURPOSE

Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people and did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.

— John 6:11

In 1905, Niagara Falls opened Canada’s first alternating current power station and it provided electricity for over a century. The station ran its life cycle and due to technological advancements was shut down in 2006.

The station has been repurposed into a tourist attraction. The building has a unique Romanesque design that can’t be found today. The 2000-pound red brass doors, the green roof tiles and white glazed bricks stand out to any visitor.

The highlight of the repurposed facility is the new viewing platform. Visitors descend 180 feet beneath the power station. A one-minute glass-enclosed elevator ride drops them off inside a 2200-foot-long tunnel where water used to pass through.

The tunnel leads onlookers to a panoramic view of the falls on the edge of the Niagara River. The experience is unique from any other viewing platforms around Niagara because visitors are on the ground level, as close to the water as you can be.

In front are the mesmerizing American Falls and behind are the Horseshoe Falls. The location creates an engulfed aura with the sound of ever flowing water and mist-filled air.

Repurposing a decommissioned power station into a tourist friendly attraction required many changes. New sprinklers, fire alarms, fire exits and mechanical systems were installed.

Building the new 65-foot concrete viewing platform at the end of the tunnel that is 180 feet beneath the power station was the greatest challenge. And doing it on the rocky banks of the Niagara River with constant mist from the falls.

But the repurposing creates something new and special at the famous tourist attraction. The greatest view of the falls anywhere around Niagara. And it generates around three million dollars in revenue while attracting as many as 200,000 visitors a year. This made the project a definitively worthwhile endeavor.

John 6:11 says, “Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people and did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.” Jesus repurposed a lunch to do something far greater and feed a multitude.

There are many repurposed lives throughout the Bible. Joseph went from slave to Prime Minister. Esther from orphan to Queen. Paul from persecutor to Apostle. Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen but then Jesus repurposed their lives.

God may have a plan to repurpose your life for a greater purpose. He may redesign, remold, rebuild to repurpose, but you can be sure you’ll never be discarded or destroyed. You’ll be better, more successful and do greater things.