So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. Joshua 4:4-9 (NIV)
A friend said something about me on her blog that honored me more than any prize I might have won. She said, “She writes a blog that always starts with a Bible passage and she writes about her faith in God as she moves through her everyday life. That Bible thing may put off some people from reading her smart, often humorous, always thoughtful posts and I think that more people read than comment there. But here’s the thing: I know she writes that blog for herself, as a true journal. She’s not writing to entertain us. If we happen by, well that’s fine, but she’s doing that for herself.”
She is right about the purpose that I blog for myself and to record my walk with God. While I want to encourage others to see God’s Hand at work in their lives, I also want to remember those times when God stepped in and saved me, many times from my own self!
In the verses above, the Israelite people crossed over the Jordan River neither on a bridge nor on a narrow stretch of land, but through a wide deep part of that river. They did it because God stopped the flow of the river allowing them to walk across the muddy floor until they reached the other side. Along the way, they did as God instructed and gathered stones from the riverbed to build an altar that testified to God’s faithfulness. Whenever they had doubts about whether He would intervene in the future, they could remember that pile of rocks and know that He cared and was an all powerful protector.
Just as the Israelites did, we need to gather our own pile of stones as a testimony to the times God worked miracles in our life. Because in every life, no matter how strong the faith, there will come more than one time when we will question and doubt. Is God real? Does He care about me? Can He change this situation?
It helps to gather my own stones recalling the times that God intervened, not just in my life, but in that of my children. I can think of the past and how much God showed His care and how often He worked to bring them to the places where they are today.
How I needed those stones of remembrance today! Youngest son took another test this morning. A swim test for a full time beach lifeguard position. It is not what he wants to do the rest of his life, but the pay is good. It would be something secure until he sees what else the future holds. He took the swim test on a cold and windy morning and missed passing by six seconds. Another door closed. It just reinforced his feeling like a failure all over again.
I cried at my desk for a while after we talked. Even as I encouraged him by listing all the doors God has opened for him and reminded him that just because these doors have closed does not mean that God will not open more in the future, I was sick with disappointment. I talked the talk, but my heart was breaking.
I buried myself in my work, but when I got in the car to go to lunch, a song was playing on the radio that instantly took me back to the past. To a time when youngest son’s future looked dark and bleak and I beat on the doors of heaven for God to intercede in his life. It is called, “He’s my Son” by Mark Schultz. While it was written about parents whose child had a life threatening illness, that song meant so much to me a few years ago when we were struggling with youngest son’s poor choices.
That song did not play on the radio at that moment by chance. Now, in a time when he is doing everything “right”, but things are still not working out like he had hoped, the song reminds me that God has been faithful before and He will be faithful again. You see, it is not that Christians are perfect people who go happily and worry free through life. It is that we can have a song in our hearts even when things look the bleakest because we have hope in God’s power and love for us. I remembered my words to my son and they became more than words, they became belief. One day, I will be writing here about the perfect job youngest son has been given. It will be just one more stone in my wall of faith.
He’s My Son by Mark Schultz
I’m down on my knees again tonight
I’m hoping this prayer will turn out right
See there is a boy that needs your help
I’ve done all that I can do myself
His mother is tired
I’m sure you can understand
Each night as he sleeps
She goes in to hold his hand
And she tries not to cry
As the tears fill up her eyes
Chorus~
Can you hear me?
Am I getting through tonight?
Can you see him?
Can you make him feel all right?
If you can hear me
Let me take his place somehow
See he’s not just anyone
He’s my son
Sometimes late at night I watch him sleep
I dream of the boy he’d like to be
I try to be strong and see him through
But God who he needs right now is You
Let him grow old
Live life without this fear
What would I be
Living without him here
He’s so tired and he’s scared
Let him know that You’re there
Chorus
Can you hear me?
Am I getting through tonight?
Can you see him?
Can you make him feel all right?
If you can hear me
Let me take his place somehow
See he’s not just anyone
He’s my son
Can you hear me?
Can you see him?
Please don’t leave him
He’s my son
thank you 8-]