It is always so exciting when God shows up and does something only God could do, isn’t it? You feel so full of faith and hope in God at the time, thinking you could never come down from the mountaintop experience, and surely never forget His goodness! But it is amazing how quickly we finite humans forget those "God moments" and go right back to our self-reliance, fear, anxiety, and forget how mighty our God is!
That was exactly what kept happening to the children of Israel. In one instance, they had just crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. I would think that one would trust God for any and everything after that, but it was just three short days later that they did not have water to drink and were panicking. Surely God must have grown weary after showing off at the Red Sea, and now they can’t trust Him for clean drinking water? Really. But I am no different.
Several years ago, He began showing me my need for a memorial as I was continually tossed about by the waves of my own personal storms. Why was I afraid? Could I not trust? God began revealing to me through scripture that I needed to create a visual reminder of His faithfulness in my life. If I could be reminded of what He had done for me in the past, then it would build my faith to trust Him for my future. I have found it to be so helpful.
Just when I am hit with a new challenge or mountain in my life, my memorial stones quickly remind me of His mighty acts to me personally. Not only do I have a stone with a word or two on it, but I also have a journal that goes with it to record the story in detail. A written record of His faithfulness to you will be a quick pick-me-up when your faith is growing weak. One day I was needing to encourage myself in the Lord, as I mentioned in the last blog, and my journal was just what I needed to read. I was amazed at the details I had forgotten in less than a year, but wow, how it added to my faith to remember! By the time I finished reading my journal, I had confident faith that God IS who He says He is in His Word and I could put my trust in Him wholeheartedly!
Another reason for the memorial is to pass down the stories of His faithfulness to your children and your children’s children…the generations to follow you. In Joshua 4:21-24 it says, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come saying, ‘What are these stones?’, then you shall tell your children saying, "Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty so that you may fear the Lord your God forever."
The passing down of our faith is a mandate from God and such an incredible responsibility, yet priviledge as a parent. The memorial gives the visual opportunity to share stories in you and your family’s lives of His faithful acts. Sharing these testimonies will plant seeds of faith in your children, grandchildren, and the generations to come. But not only to your family.
The memorial also is an excellent witnessing tool. (I hope this isn’t sounding like an infomercial…not trying to sell it, just tell the benefits!) As people enter your home or office and see the stones with the words written on them, you will have an open door to sharing your personal testimonies of God’s work in your life as they ask, "Hey, what is this stone? What does this mean?" How awesome is that?!
As I have given stones and journals to friends to create their own memorials, they usually are amazed at the simplicity, creativity and great potential of the memorials. They try to credit me for the great "idea", yet it wasn’t mine. God thought of it a few thousand years ago and suggested I do the same.
Will you create your own memorial? I hope you do.
