6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’
There are many teachable moments in the life of a child. But so many parents miss these moments. As the Lord is instructing Joshua about their upcoming crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land, one of the things to be done was the setting up of a memorial pile of stones. The stones were a permanent reminder of what the Lord had done. I am amazed that people can think that this nation was founded by anything other than God fearing people. It is impossible to travel through the monuments in Washington DC without reading about their faith in God. It was a vital, central part of their lives and of the founding of this nation. And the monuments give rise to questions. This pillar of stones that Joshua was to erect was just such a monument for the Israelites. It would serve as an opportunity to tell the story of God’s miraculous intervention in their lives. The pillar of stones was nothing special. They were just stones taken from the Jordan River. But the stones gave the opportunity to answer the “daddy why” question. We need to be ready to answer those questions. They are coming, if you have children. Why do we go to church? Why do we read the Bible? Why do we eat the bread and drink the juice? Why do we celebrate Christmas and Easter? Why did Grandma die? All these questions are opportunities to tell the story. Do we take the time to tell the story of Jesus intervention in our lives?
The Arnold Journey 