Sunday, January 29, 2012

Four

Joshua 4...
20
And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

I am no Joshua. But, I am a part of a long, rich line of incredible men and women who have raised 'stones' in honor of the One who had delivered them from pain, sorrow, grief, struggles, etc.

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Eric's death. But, as I was thinking through the past four year's events I realized that this day should not just be a sad anniversary but could be, no, should be turned into a milestone to look back on and marvel at God's goodness.

Of course, building a stone altar might look a bit strange now-a-days. But, there is no reason why, in our minds, we can't pile our stones on this particular date to remind us of His wonderful right hand.
We do this a lot.
We create special dates using the calendar on our wall.
We celebrate all kinds of frivolous things along with all those important marriage anniversaries, birth dates, and holidays.
But, so much more important are those milestones that remind us of God's faithfulness.


So, here I raise my Ebenezer.
I publicly dedicate it as a monument to God's help, God's faithfulness, God's eternal covenant.
And, as we go on with our lives, the 'stone' will stand there,
visible to me as a reminder of God's faithfulness to our family.

May people always see that the 'hand of the LORD is powerful' through His working to complete in us what He started out to do in our lives.
And, may I regularly share this milestone with you so that you may rejoice with us at God's faithfulness.

~Heather

1 comment:

Genealogy Joanie said...

Heather, this is a poem written by Phil's great-grandmother. It fits with your post - which I love.
****************************************************


ALTAR BUILDERS


God would have us altar builders, passing pilgrims.
Naught we leave, save an altar,
just an altar
where our children’s hearts may cleave.
When the night steals o’er the desert,
lo, they tread the paths we trod.
Oh, what joy if they shall find there
steadfast altar, Savior, God.
Back to Bethel He shall bring them,
Show them visions of His bliss.
Yes, those very rocks shall teach them
how unchangeable He is.
God would have us altar builders
Daily in earth’s desert ways;
from the stumbling stones about us
Rearing monuments of praise.
God would have us altar builders
lifting up a sacrifice,
ever leaving, by our embers,
what points others to the skies.

Edith Hays Mulligan
Mother of Margaret Doris (Mulligan) Hersey
Hebrews 13: 10-13
Romans 12: 1