Twelve Stones

When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”…And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.  And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’  Then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’  For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”  Joshua 4

                                                                                                  

At various times is Scripture, God had the Israelites do something, whether constructing a memorial or participating in a feast, to help them remember the ways He had shown Himself mighty in the past, so that they would not lose heart in the future.  I encourage you to do this sometime.  Has God taught you an important lesson?  Has He done something amazing?  Be sure to do something so that you won’t forget that season in your life.  To close out this series of postings (including “Brokenhearted” and “A Letter To Micah”), I want to share with you two memorials I made during that time.

The first is a small baby shoe that hangs in our room.  It has a small heart attached with the name “Micah” engraved on one side and “2004” on the other.  It is a reminder of the child I never had the chance to meet on earth but will one day spend eternity with in heaven.  It is also a reminder to not forget the profound pain I experienced during that time so that I can better minister to others who are hurting.

The second is a figurine entitled “Happiness” that sits in my living room.  After months of sorrow, God brought me to a place of great peace.  It didn’t come from getting what I wanted or having any of my circumstances change.  It came from finding a place of comfort and rest in God alone.  I was attending a women’s retreat, and it caught my attention as I looked around a small gift shop in Gatlinburg, TN.  It was a "Willow Tree" figurine that showed a woman with her arms spread open wide with birds all around.  For me, it perfectly displayed what I was feeling - one of the many times I have found joy…in the scorched places.

Janel

“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).