My life is going through two very different stages simultaneously. On the one hand, my family is experiencing one of the most stressful times we have ever faced. We are in a great period of uncertainty where we feel that we have no control over the events that are happening to us. We are struggling to maintain our relationships in the face of all the changes and disagreements and disappointments that make up our days in this season. On the other hand, it's an exciting time for me because my first book is about to be published, and I'm able to see the layout of the book and the proposed cover design on my computer as they are being finalized by the publisher.
Tonight as I reviewed the layout to make any last changes, all the writing that was passing before my eyes reminded me of all the times I had walked through other storms in my life and how God used those times to make changes in me. I saw how He had taken terrible circumstances and answered prayers that changed those situations, even if it wasn't in my timing or in the way I thought He should have done it. I also saw that ultimately, His way was the best way.
When I went to my blog page, I saw that my last post was made over two months ago. That represents months of upheaval in my life where I was so busy and so distracted by the situation, that I couldn't even listen to God for an inspiration to write. I thought about all those words written by my own hand that told me to trust God, to stay strong, to keep going, to rest and not to worry, to walk and not faint.
Then I remembered that is exactly what the Lord told Joshua in the first chapter of the book of Joshua. Moses had died and Joshua was the leader of the Israelites. God told him over and over again to be strong and courageous. His first assignment was to move the people across the Jordan River. Miraculously, when the priests carrying the ark of the Covenant stepped into the river and stopped in the middle, the river became dry ground, even though it was at flood stage at that time of the year. The whole nation of people walked across to the other side.
Joshua then directed that one man from each tribe of Israel bring a stone from the middle of the river, from the place where the priests were standing and to put them down in the place where they would be staying that night. He then told them, "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 (Joshua 4: 6-7).
In essence, they took stones to remember the challenge that God brought them through and put those stones in the place of rest they found on the other side of that trouble. My stories are the stones in my life. They show me what great turmoil God has brought me through. I can look at them and remember the times that He has been faithful. I've read over these stories of mine many times when I was in a place of rest as I've been writing and editing this book for many months, but in the last few months, I've lost sight of the meaning of the words as I found myself trying to cross my own river that seems to be at flood stage.
It's in those times of challenge that we most need to revisit what God has done in the past and what He will do again. My stones are my blog posts and the writing in my journals. What stones do you have to remind you of what He has done in your life? Look on them again as a memorial of the miracles in your life and be strong and courageous, just as God told Joshua.
