Stones

Joshua 4:8-9
And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua...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.

This above passage takes place as the Israelites are completing their 40-year sojourn through the wilderness and entering the Promised Land. To mark the occasion, so that no one may forget what God has done for them, the Lord commands a monument of 12 stones be erected.

The theme of setting up "stones" to remind myself of what great works God has done in my life has been recurring in my heart consistently since Christmas. I'm sentimental, but I don't think overly so. I mean, when I move, I don't have a super-difficult time getting rid of what needs to go. Pull it out of the box. Have the memory. Move on....unless it's a stone. I mean a REAL stone. Not those fake things we haul around and rent storage buildings for unheard-of prices to hold on to. I'm talking about the GOOD STUFF.

I've given thought to what these stones may be for me. In my case, starting at the top (those which are not as strong, but still of import) to the bottom (those stones which are cornerstones) I would first offer up the physical objects. In my office hang my journalism degree from OU, my President's Leadership Class Award, my Outstanding Senior Journalist plaque, along with my ministry license and baptism certificate.
I don't look at these and see Jared-achievement. I see them as markers of grace God has given me. Each of these represents a goal God gave me, in some form or fashion, and the working toward achieving that goal, and the goodness of God in giving me the strength to do so; with exception of the baptism certificate, which is meant to symbolize a very special day in the life of 8-year-old Jared, and his current-26-year-old counterpart who still thrills at what Christ has done for Him and strives daily in His strength to be obedient.
They were all special times because God was in them every step of the way. So I am humbled when I see them, and love telling people how God has guided my education and spiritual formation.

My books are next. The important ones like Lectures to My Students, Les Miserables, Chosen By God, When I Don't Desire God: How To Fight For Joy, Organic Disciplemaking, Systematic Theology, Gates of Fire, to name a few. These books and their shelf-companions are my friends and some of the best teachers I've ever had.

There are also the photos. Of family. Of friends. These speak of the blessing of people in my life. Those who've changed me for the better. Who've changed me for good. I love pictures. They're little pieces of time you can hold in your hand...just don't smudge!

So much better than the novels and other books there's my journal passages and Bible underlines, scribbled notes, and highlighters marking my growth in grace and knowledge of the Word under the Spirit's guidance. I sometimes just go back and read through an old journal or see a note or underline in my Bible and I'm transported back to when my pen first hit that page. I remember what it felt like to struggle, love, doubt, pray, and trust like I did.
You need to journal. If you don't, please start. It's not as hard a discipline as you might think. Make some stones with your pen strokes to remember the greatness of God at all points of your life.

But at the base.... the greatest stone markers of my life are the people. They go along with the photo idea, but the real people are so much better than ink-jetted glossy paper. The men and women God has guided in shaping me are, ultimately, those for whom I will stand before God and give account and praise and honor for how I loved and treated and grew alongside.
People-Stones are the best, because they're each and every one huggable and conversational and a phone call or memory away. These stones have names: Dad, Mom, Jenny, Jenna, Tyler, Austin, Mr. Singleton, "Greggie", Joe, Chris, Steven...
Oh, I could go on. These stones have supported me and spoken truth into my life, each and every one. Without these, I would not be the man writing before you now. They've each loved me and allowed me to love them deeply. For that I will never have sufficient words.

So there's some of my stones? What are yours?