In Spain, there’s a man named Justo Gallego Martinez, who lived to be 96 years old. Justo was a Trappist monk during the Spanish Civil War, a time in which he saw many of his friends murdered and his own life was also in grave danger. Even worse, after the war, he contracted tuberculosis causing him to leave the monastery and he could no longer be a monk. Refusing to lose hope, he thought to himself, “Lord, if you heal me of this disease, I’ll build a cathedral for you.” The Lord healed him — the problem was, he had no money or resources to carry out his vow to God. Through his determination he moved forward as he sought donations of any kind to build his masterpiece. Today, the building which he had worked on since 1961, stands in the town of Madrid, Spain and it’s made entirely of donated and recycled materials. For over 50 years, day after day (except Sunday), he worked for 10 hours building the cathedral.

Friend, I call your attention to this man as an example of somebody who went through great difficulty in his life but used his circumstances to overcome and accomplish something impressive for the glory of God. He is living proof that thoughts and attitudes amidst pain and loss make all the difference. I firmly believe that new life is preceded by new thoughts. A transformed reality is the fruit of a transformed mind!