We had our annual Family Day last week. You can read about our first one here. A day to remember God’s faithfulness to our family this past year. We enjoyed a big breakfast together – scrambled eggs, bacon, juice, peaches, and cinnamon rolls. Then we each made our lists of the ways God has been faithful this past year. This is our third year doing this and the kids are getting it. The things they remember always amaze me.
Last year we filled up our jar of stones – visual reminders of the ways God has worked. So this year we added the jar to the table, but instead of gathering more stones, just talked through each list and had quite a few ways God has worked in our family. Then we thought ahead to the coming school year and made a list of the challenges or concerns we had. And finally, we prayed together – thanking God for his provision and mercy and asking God to work in the things on our minds for the future. We also enjoyed looking back through the book and remembering our lists and pictures from the last couple years. So sweet.
We spent a couple hours doing all of this. Right before breakfast the kids were arguing and we had to work through that. As we all sat down we had some sour faces and I prayed God would use the time to soften our hearts. And sure enough, by the time we ended our hearts were all restored. Thanking God and remembering what He’s done ALWAYS leads to a happy heart. Always.
Joshua 4:1-9 English Standard Version (ESV)
Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan
4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
8 And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.