Stones of Remembrance

“O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us the work that you did in their days, in the days of old” (Psalm 44:1)

Children love stories. Everyone loves stories. I suspect this is why Jesus chose to wrap many of his important lessons in stories. In the age of instant everything and fifteen-second sound bites, I fear we parents are losing our ability to tell stories. I’m not talking about “Handsome Prince stories,” as my starry-eyed girls would call them, or even “Big Ugly Monster stories,” like some of their Boy Scout friends preferred, but faith stories like the ones the Old Testament commands parents to tell our children. Not only does the Bible command us to tell our children faith stories, but it goes one step further. God tells us to use visuals.

Remember when God parted the Jordan River and allowed the children of Israel to walk across on dry ground into the Promised Land? The first thing God commanded his children to do after they reached the other side was to set up “stones of remembrance.” He instructed them to take twelve stones out of the Jordan River and construct a memorial. Its purpose? “… So that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ you should tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. . . . Therefore these stones will always be a memorial.”” (Joshua 4:6-7)

Our family has applied this principle by using a Memorial Box. It is a shadow box with compartments and a glass front. Within the box, we have placed carefully chosen items that represent great faith stories from our family’s history.

One of the most precious items in our box is a stone, similar to the children of Israel’s stones, that was once part of a wall in our neighborhood. It’s special to us because it was on that wall that my husband was sitting when the encyclopedia saleswoman came down the road asked him, “Would you like to hear about how to have a relationship with Jesus?” He said “Yes,” and his life was changed forever.

Other items in the box include a tiny computer to represent the computer God sent our way when we had no money to purchase one, a key chain from the job God provided for my husband after two months of unemployment, and a hospital receipt marked “Paid in Full” that represents the hospital bill that mysteriously disappeared before we had made the first payment.

There is no magic in the box or in the stories that come from it. The power is in what these stories represent. Faith stories testify of a God who loves us, cares and provides for us, and hears our prayers. Faith is contagious. When your children hear the stories of how God has been faithful to you, they will begin to believe that he will be faithful to them as well. Faith stories, with visual aids, are marvelous tools for preserving the history of God’s faithfulness to your family. They are also powerful witnesses to those who will visit your home. “Daddy, what’s that rock doing in our Memorial Box?” “Well sweetie, let me tell you a story. . . .”

I hope that you will begin your own family’s Memorial Box today. It will take a lifetime to complete.

Application Questions:

What are some of your family’s unique faith stories?

How do they demonstrate God’s faithfulness to your family through the years?

What objects can you gather to represent each faith story?

Action Step for This Week:

At the dinner table this week, begin to share some of your family’s faith stories. Pair each story with an object to represent it, and begin your Memorial Box. When others visit, share your stories.

Prayer of Commitment:

“Lord, you have been so faithful to our family. Help us never forget all you have done for us. Help us preserve the legacy of your faithfulness for our children and future generations through a Memorial Box or some other means. May we use it as a powerful testimony of your protection, provision, and blessings upon us.”

This post is an excerpt from Lori’s devotional book for homeschooling moms called Joy in the Journey. With a devotion for every week of the school year, Joy in the Journey is a healthy dose of encouragement for some of the hardest working women around – homeschooling moms!