Life Is What You Make Of It: Remember...

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." (I Samuel 7:12)

The prophet Samuel recognized the value of remembering all that the Lord had done for Israel.

While reading today, I was reminded of the fact that whenever something significant happened in the lives of God's people, He would request that they make a monument, or have a memorial of some type, to remember what had happened. Many times, when it was a work commissioned by the Lord, there were long and decorated celebrations that included feasting, awesome music and choirs and gifts and prayers offered to the Lord in thanksgiving for His seeing it done.

Sometimes it was just a stack of stones to remain in a certain location as a marker of the event that had taken place where God had intervened or displayed His glory.

In the above scripture, the Philistines had just been routed by the Lord, and God's people were amazed and thrilled for the victory.

It seems to makes more sense of what Peter was thinking with his impulsive ways when he saw Christ talking with Elijah and Moses, related in the reference below.

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
{Luke 9: 28-33}

He might have been thinking it would be a place to do something....anything, to mark the moment, along with any other thoughts racing through his head. Note the text says he did not know what he was saying.

But back to what this passage spoke to me. God's hand is at work all throughout our days as we journey and travel His predestined plans for our lives. As we come to moments in each season that are special, outstanding, remarkable, or recognizable, it is good to follow this same tradition that the Lord desired for His own.

Let us not let them pass without some fanfare of some sort. Let us stop and celebrate and recognize special accomplishments. Let us create a monument or a memory so to speak with thanksgiving for God's hand in the outcome. Let us celebrate and feast and take pictures and have an "Ebenezer" event to say, Thus far has the Lord helped us.

These are precious moments. They are smiled upon by our Father when we stop and make mention of His plan and His ordained involvement in "seeing it done."

Don't just wait for the big moments such as a wedding or a special anniversary or a recognized mile marker birthday, or college graduation. Celebrate the small accomplishments that God works in your life as well as the big ones.

Create a memory in your family's journey. Document it with photos to look back on and remember. We may not find HUGE rocks to place in our yards to mark a moment, but we can sure create a celebratory event to cheer on the personal accomplishments and glorify our Lord for His goodness. :-)