“Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” Joshua 4, excerpts
As we were leaving our home and friends in State College, to move back to Lancaster several weeks ago, I was thinking back over all the things we’d faced in the past few years. Serious health issues, hospital visits, relationship struggles, job uncertainties, and other things… and I realized that our move was in a way a spiritual crossroad for us. Though we had already dealt with a lot of the things we’d been through, moving was a tangible way of actually leaving things behind.
Thinking back over some of the really scary times we had with my sister’s health, I remembered time and time again how God showed us His faithfulness. I caught a glimpse of Jesus, weeping with us. Crying to God for mercy on her behalf. I learned to plead for God’s presence in ways I never thought I would have to. I learned to thank Him for the difficult things that made me seek Him with all my heart. I learned that my relationship with Him was the only thing that couldn’t be taken away.
Looking ahead, there’s a lot of uncertainties. The path looks cold, and foggy, shrouded in mystery. But I want to remember…. I want to erect a standing stone, as it were, so that when I look ahead at the curve in the path, I will remember God’s faithfulness of the past and have confidence that He will continue to guide and walk with us.
Sweet Contemplations 