This morning I’m mulling over some thoughts shared in our Bible study last evening and I been reflecting on a statement made by one of the brothers who had just come back from an arduous hike with his wife and a couple of their daughters. He commented that what we see from the mountaintops are the valleys behind us and the valleys ahead of us.
He continued, that it’s often what we see behind us that encourages us to press on to what’s ahead— that the path the brought us to the mountain exhilarates us to face the trail ahead. He read definitions of the word exhilarate and commented that it was just before the word: exhort. Interesting.
I was inspired to look up the words in my little pocket dictionary. The word exhilarate was, indeed, just before the word exhort and interestingly, just after the word: exhibit, which is to expose, to place on display. To exhibit. To exhilarate. To exhort. To display, to make cheerful, to appeal strongly.
The LORD has given me a glimpse this morning of why my previous blog entries were lost and why the fresh new path — and why late last night I felt led to choose the template with the stones on the top — the template that’s so different from my own personal style and preference— a template that doesn’t look like “me.”
Then I was reading this morning in Joshua where the priests and all the children of Israel were commanded to go to the Jordan and were instructed that when they saw the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they were to follow it—that they would know the way they should go for they had not passed this way before―that the next day the LORD would do wonders among them. The priests were to go to the brink of the Jordan and to stand still in Jordan and as soon as the soles of their feet rested in the water, the water was parted and they and the children of Israel passed over on dry ground. Twelve stones were commanded to be placed as a memorial― twelve stones that were gathered out of the *midst* of the Jordan ― as a sign that God had dried up the waters of the Jordan as He had done to the Red sea.
That this may be a sign among you,
that when your children ask their fathers in time to come,
saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Joshua 4.6
And so, I saw that the LORD was working in me that I take account and consider more seriously the blessing and the opportunity of my life. He’s worked wonders ― truly, He’s worked miracles. What I’ve experienced in the valleys, I’ve learned to praise the LORD for on the mountaintops. What I praise the LORD for on the mountaintops I want to proclaim to whoever will read here.
In my rose garden and in other flowerbeds around our home I have large rocks… my stones of remembrance. On these rocks I have printed words, dates or phrases these stand as a testimony of what the LORD has done and are reminders to me ― not only to me but to our children ― ways the LORD has worked, blessed and provided through the years.
And so I closed my reading today at verse 24 of Joshua and truly, the LORD blessed me with a renewed mind, a renewed purpose for what I do here and it is both inspirational and encouraging as I look to the days ahead and the many things that appear to be on the horizon… even if this seems like a valley and even if it appears that a mountaintop is just ahead.
That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD,
that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
To display, to make cheerful, to appeal strongly. To exhibit. To exhilarate. To exhort. The “rocks” or entries of this blog… slices of life, the Word and work of the LORD = The Welcome Home Blog.
Yes, it’s been a wonderful thing. Over the years I’ve written on smooth (and some jagged) rocks with acrylic paint pens… just words or simple phrases printed on the rocks. Some of the rocks have a partial Bible verse, some have birthdates or anniversary dates. Some have dates of significant milestones in our family or in the lives of the children or grandchildren. Some have the theme titles of some retreats or talks I’ve done. There are names of events and provisions and dates. These are simple reminders of God’s faithfulness. These are all part of the story… the “sit down, I’ve got a story to tell you…” of God’s work and ways in our family. Blessings to you! ps
Thank you for sharing that, and thank you for reminding us to establish reminders for our families of God’s faithfulness. On a practical note, I love the idea of the stones placed about your gardens for this purpose.