Monday Musings

Are you familiar with the term "Standing or Memorial Stones? "


 ⁴So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;
 ⁵and Joshua said to them, "Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.
 ⁶"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
 ⁷then you shall say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off ' So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever." - Joshua 4: 4-7 NASB


Especially during hard times people often need reminding of the good things in their life, the blessings they do have, and what God has done for them. It isn't something new. In the passage I just shared God shows He understands that need by telling the people to set up these stones as reminders of how they just witnessed a miracle that showed God's power and provision for them. We know how many times the people would doubt Him in the Bible. We aren't any stronger than they were.

The picture I shared is of an Iris from the garden I had to leave behind when I moved. Every place I've lived since I became a Christian has had them. They are part of my "standing stones." You see, my grandmother was the one who influenced me her life and death to accept Christ. The Iris was her favorite flower. Every time I see one I think about her and how much her love and her powerful witness has impacted my life, my marriage, my children... and so many other choices I've made. It's a reminder to me of the kind of woman I want to be and the kind of love I want to share with other people. It's also a reminder of the grace and mercy God has for me - because he put her in my life.

For the times when they aren't in bloom, I have a picture on my bedroom wall with the sign "Believe" hanging on top of it. I think we need reminders of the times that are important in our spiritual walk to help us when times are rough and to pass down stories to our children to strengthen their faith and help them to know the stories of how God has worked in their family. It can be a shadowbox with momentos, a photo collage, a single item mounted... or a jar where you record moments on paper and then make a tradition of pulling out one a week and discussing it.

If you do this already I'd love to hear your stories. If not, let me know how you feel about it. Have you tried before? How much can the past offer us~ either in comfort or edification?