Volume One, Issue 19 November 15, 2021

We desire to see everyone living in a healthy relationship with the Lord.

Joanna Snow Ministries is located in Downtown Mobile, and we love it!

This stack of bricks and mortar may not look like much, but it is. It is a ruin, a remnant, even a bit of history.

This small brick pile is all that is left of the second Fort Conde (kahn-dee), which the French built at the edge of Mobile Bay nearly 300 years ago. Forts are, generally, massive structures, and Fort Conde was no exception. It covered more than 10 acres of land, including most of what is today considered Downtown Mobile. The walls were strong, made with brick, and reached as high as 20 feet. Armed with cannon and surrounded by a moat, the Fort protected the citizens of Mobile from attacks for a hundred years.

Since the fort was built, Mobile has weathered wars, diseases, and hurricanes. Many of the city’s structures, including the Conde forts, succumbed to destruction. What was once a substantial part of the region was no more, with this small cluster of debris serving as a reminder of what used to be. Even though the fort no longer exists, we know that something significant was there at one time.

The inscription reads:

This ruin is a vestige of the second Fort Conde. Built by the French in 1723 and later occupied by the British, Spanish, and the Americans, these foundations are the only architectural remains of Colonial Mobile.

What is a ruin or remnant in your life? Is there something that seems to be nothing but debris left from former happy days? I think we all have piles of rubble in our minds (and photo albums). They may cause anger, pain, or other heartrending emotions.

Abraham weathered wars, betrayal, and strife, yet he set up altars as reminders of the great compassion and blessings God did for him. What can we learn from that? The ruins in your life don't always have to be painful. Like Abraham's altars, they can be a memorial. And, they can be part of something better — a new structure.

Let's say that you have some rubble that represents a broken relationship. I am not suggesting that you ignore the hurt, and I am not even telling you to count it as joy. But, instead, consider something that you can do with the ruins. Perhaps you can turn them into a memorial, reminding you of something you learned from that broken relationship that can help you in the future.

Or, maybe your debris is leftover from an illness or the loss of a loved one. Would you consider building a new structure? Can you turn a broken pile of bricks into a cornerstone for a new part of yourself?

God can help you with the building process. For thousands of years, He has directed people to improve upon destruction, repairing ruins so that they are a glory to the Lord. If you have a pile of bricks in your way, talk with God about how to use them for both your healing and for His glory. Who knows? You may end up building a fort of your own.

They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

Isaiah 61:4

And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

Isaiah 58:12