Memorial Stones

As we read Joshua today, we read of exciting travel into the treasured Promise Land.   For generations the Hebrews had looked forward to having their own place.  Now they tread a path on that territory.  It will not come without a fight...actually many fights...some within themselves, but, thankfully, it will come.   Before they got very far though, they took a few moments to commemorate the glorious event.   They took time to celebrate what the Lord had done and to leave a marker for future generations.  Joshua 4:5-7 -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.” (www.lifejournal.cc)
These stones were to serve as memorials for future generations to reflect on the faithfulness of the Lord and to see how He worked in the lives of their parents, grandparents, and on and on for the generations.  These stones were also there to serve as reminders for the very generation that crossed over into the Promised Land.  When the battles and the struggles come, even in the promised life, do not forget where you came from. 
We all need such memorial stones.  The biggest is, of course, our salvation.  We need to be able to come back to a spiritual marker in our lives where we know that we have received the Lord, can rest in it, and reflect on it.  We need spiritual markers in our lives.  We need to somehow mark the great moves of God in our lives so that we can reflect and we can share them with future generations.  My spiritual markers are my salvation, my wife's salvation, my call, my first pastorate, our marriage, our moves in ministry, the birth of our children, and the salvation of one of our children (in chronological order).  I savor the opportunity to place that spiritual marker of my youngest child's salvation in the near future. 
I don't know if I need literal rocks in the yard for these.  I have struggled with doing it, just for the conversations that it could cause with my kids, my wife, and me.  However, if you never place literal stones down for such a thing, there must be spiritual stones placed in your life.  Spiritual markers to reflect on and to pass on to your children.  What are yours?  Ponder on that today.  Celebrate each and every one with the Lord that gave them to you.  You will not only have some holy moments with the Lord; you will also be able to share them with others.