Uniquely Constructed Treasure by Martin Wiles

Alfred ambled along the beaches of Curacao Island and was distressed by the numerous bottles littering the beach and the meager living conditions of the island’s lower class. With no economic means to return them from whence they came, the island’s inhabitants allowed the bottles to rest where they were tossed. 

Alfred’s distress led to action. He asked a Dutch architect to design “a brick that holds beer,” and the Heineken WOBO (World Bottle) was born. Bottles were laid horizontally and interlocked, then secured by mortar and a silicon additive. Around 1,000 bottles were required to build a 10 ft. by 10 ft. shack. Only two of the structures still exist, and they are located on the Heineken estate in Noordwijk near Amsterdam. But Alfred’s dream brought treasure from trash.

It took a dream and money to materialize the WOBO; it takes an awesome God to do the same for sinful people-and we have one. “Who is like you among the gods, O LORD—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders” (Exodus 15:11 NLT)?

Our lives are often littered like the beaches of Curacao. Bottles emptied by broken relationships, shattered dreams, financial meltdowns, unmet goals, frustrations, abusive parents, rebellious children and a hundred other disappointments clutter our minds and emotions. We may be powerless to pick them up and compose anything majestic, but God isn’t. Regardless of how petite our life’s pieces have shattered into, our merciful Father can reconstruct them into something beautiful called “us” and then use us to impact our world in a positive way. All that’s required is trust and faith. When totally committed to the One who has done so much for us, God will form our emptiness into a house sturdy enough to weather any storm.

Prayer: Lord Christ, constructor of all things good, we give ourselves in total surrender to You that You might build of us an enduring structure that will overcome every storm life sends and cause us to persevere with the confidence that You are a mighty God who is able to sustain us in every situation.