"Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'" Joshua 4:21
God told Joshua to have twelve men gather twelve stones and place them at the mouth of the Jordan River so that the Israelites would have to pass over these stones as they entered into the Promise Land. The stones would be a reminder of all that God had done for them.
"Stones of Remembrance", do you have them? We all do...I'll share one of mine with you.
My Wedding Vows
That sounds easy doesn't it? I mean, isn't everyone's vows important, special, something to remember? I thought so too but Dana and I chose to do things a little differently than some. How should I say...the odds were stacked against us making it to our first anniversary.
As you know we met at work. (by the workings of Gran) About a month after we met, we went on our first date. It was wonderful! A whirlwind romance! From that first date we were inseparable. We talked on the phone everyday, saw each other every night, went out on dates every weekend. Not to mention we worked for the same company so we took our breaks and had lunch together everyday. We introduced each other to our families and closest friends within weeks of meeting each other. It seemed everything we did was in fast-forward. Then...we realized we were going to be parents! What!? How did that happen?
We decided with our parents that we would get married and live happily ever after.
So it began...
We had a beautiful wedding with all of our family and friends there to support us. We had a fast honeymoon and moved right in with...my parents. Not ideal...but it worked.
Then reality hit! It is so true that you don't really know someone until you live with them.
Can I get an Amen? What a wake up call for both of us.
Before the bird seed had disappeared from the parking lot on our wedding night a baby was born. We faced work, bills, piles of dirty diapers and all of a sudden another baby. God was surely creating "Stones of Remembrance" in our lives.
Through all these years one thing has stood firm. Our wedding vows. We promised each other early on through all the struggles and disagreements, gosh...just the "getting to know each other" phase that we would choose love over all of it. And if we couldn't find love in our hearts for each other at particular times we would reach hard for Christ's love to get us through.
"The Lord has done great things for us" Psalm 126:3
Praise the Lord! He turned what could have been disastrous into a treasure. We embrace our wedding vows over and over through the good times and the bad. We never questioned our choice to get married four months after meeting. We have grown together with placing God as number one in our marriage and our family. He has brought us through and we give Him the glory! He has bound us together as one and has blessed us too many times to count but we do count...every. single. one.
We stand firm together on holy ground. We thank God for His commitment to us that day in that little country church. He never went back on His Word.
"If God is for us who can be against us" Romans 8:31
Now what are your "Stones" and what do they mean to you?
Your children will ask one day.
I love you & He loves you more!
Lord, Thank you for forgiveness. You took the choices we made so many years ago and forgave us and turned them into treasures. I am forever grateful. Amen.