When my parents became full-time RVers the few things left of their home went into my shed. Now that they’ve resettled, each year when they visit they go through the shed, weeding out, repacking, and hauling off to their home where the sun shines all winter. At one point this spring, my kitchen table was full of memories, many of which my parents gave me.
My teen years were spent as a missionary kid in Ecuador, and the things on the table were from those years. There was a traditional Quichua hat, a faja, the colorful belt the Quichua women wear to keep their skirts up, and two bolsas, the bags they used to carry anything and everything in. As I stood and looked at those things, and more, I wondered was what in the world I would do with them.
Now, you have to understand, decorating is not my strong suit. In fact, my decorating ability barely even registers on the decorator’s scale. I was tempted to box it all up and put it back in the shed, but I didn’t really want to do that. These were special items—things that represented years of my life that formed me into the person I am today. I wanted them out. I wanted those items seen and appreciated, even though there is nothing beautiful about them. So, I turned around and looked at my house.
Slowly but surely I found homes for each item. Did it’s new home make it suddenly beautiful? No. But worked into the whole, those things give character and interest to my home. They serve as a reminder of where I’ve been, and they tell part of my story.
Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform 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.” ~Joshua 4:20-24 NAS
Those twelve stones that Joshua set up were for a specific purpose. They were to remind the nation of what God had done for them. I doubt there was anything remarkable about the stones individually, but when they were made over and made into a monument they became a beautiful reminder even though they were still just stones.
God can do the same thing in us. There are things He can pull out of the sheds of our lives, out of our basements and attics, anywhere we try to hide things, and make them over and use them to decorate our lives. Sure, some of those things may still be ugly. We may always consider them to be unattractive and ugly, but that doesn’t mean God can’t, and doesn’t, want to use them. He can arrange them and display them in such a way that they serve as Ebenezers.
Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” ~1 Samuel 7:12 NAS
When people see these Ebenezers, those seemingly misplaced and ugly things in our lives, chances are they’ll stop and look at it, and even better, ask about it. That’s your perfect opportunity to tell them about that time in your life and what God has done for you.
God can make over things we do our best to tuck away and hide because it doesn’t match our decorating scheme and He can make it into an Ebenezer that brings glory to Himself.
Do you have things God keeps pulling out of the shed? Do you keep stuffing them back in? You might consider letting God make it over so it can point others to Him.
Oh, this is so true! Those Ebenezers are such a good way to sart conversations about us, and our God.
God is quite generous in the perfecting of our lives if we simply let Him and submit to His Will. You have a lovely forum here for Godly discussion.
What a beautiful reminder!
blessings, Penny Raine
http://pennyraine.com/blog
Loved this piece!