Personal Memorial Stones I've been trying to find time to write a terribly profound entry about my "Word", "Principle", "Focus", "Emphasis" for 2009. I've also been trying to figure out what to call the "word", "concept", "emphasis"...and have come up with Memorial Stones. I'm going to forgo "profound" and simply share. Hey, it wasn't until July that I posted my word in 2008. That post explains how I came to this practice (no need writing it all again). I did a search of the word "surrender" on the blog to find the previous link...and hey....I can be fairly profound amidst the posts on markers and unexpected hair cuts, it was fun to read the tidbits I shared of my journey and believe me it was barely the starting gate of the race. ::snort::
As I've thought about it and prayed about in for the past weeks, I've realized that God has done this in my life (without me realizing or labeling it until 2008) for at least 15 years. I was able to clearly remember years, words, and verses. It's too funny. Linda, your blog was a light bulb.I've also noted I often sense where God will be leading me in the next year sometime in the fall. For instance check out Be Still & KNOW from September and you'll see my word for 2009..... Other times I've not realized a word until someone says something like, "Chap, Sister De'Etta is right, it is ALL about the heart" or "Every time you pray you say....we just LOOOVE you so much Lord". ::snort:: BUT NOW I've been introduced to the concept of praying for a "word", asking the Lord to give me a glimpse of where we will travel in a year....and so NOW I have been more aware of what God is doing in my life.
I've also come to realize in the past month that these "words" are my personal memorial stones. In Joshua 4:1-7, we read how the Israelites stopped and picked up stones from the MIDDLE OF THE JORDAN (THINK ABOUT THAT....the Jordan stopped flowing and rose when the feet of the those who carried the ark touched the water. They proceeded before the Jordan dried up. The priests stood there in the midst of the dry Jordan, holding the Ark (representing the Glory and presence of God) until all the people had passed. The people walked across on DRY LAND...and stopped and retrieved 12 stones)...oops mini-sermon....let's see....Joshua commanded the Israelites to set up the stones as a memorial of what God had done in their midst. This is a principle we have practiced in our family. I was excited, as I prayed in December, to see that I have PERSONAL MEMORIAL STONES...my "words." These memorial stones clearly stand in my heart, reminding me of the work God has done in my life. I've built my memorial in my heart, in my journals, and I've decided to build a memorial in the sidebar as well. Do note that the verses are not ALL that I studied during that time...just a few.
2008 - Surrender...this was not always a pretty season.... I knew it grew from "chose joy" of 2005, "yet" of 2006, and "contentment" of 2007. Surrender had always been a "big" concept in my walk with Jesus, but I was not prepared for what it came to mean to me this year. Its been EVERYWHERE.....and I suspect it will continue to be. I've noted these "stones" have a way of becoming a part of me.
Surrender....relationships, health issues, weight issues, children's futures....there was more. Dying to self is never easy. Crucifixion is painful. But the resurrection is worth it all. I had a conversation today that so blessed me. I understood....this dear one told me that she had learned to "offer pain as worship" - this hit me as part of a beautiful definition of surrender and of the lessons I've learned this year.
So often "surrender" brought "quiverful" to my mind. I thought maybe I'd have a baby this year. Thus, began a hard struggle for me. I realized that I had to surrender even this. The season of having children may be over - and that was huge to me...surprisingly huge...I do have nine children after all. ::snort:: I found it as hard to surrender that our season of being blessed with children may be over, as it was to originally surrender family planning to God years ago.
I learned last year that I may "think" I know what the word means or where God is taking me, but God delights in surprising me.
2009 - Intimacy/Know... This is clearly what I hear for this year. It began last fall....the Be Still post foreshadows this theme....and it has been a cry of heart for a long time, and a goal of my life...check out my profile.... I want to say with Paul that all else pails in comparison to the surpassing value of knowing Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings and the power of His resurrection (Phil 3). I could say so much more, but this is long enough for the time being.
This song has been "my song" this year...."Whatever you're doing inside of me...it feels like chaos but somehow there's peace"...." time to surrender".... "something heavenly"..."this is something bigger than me"....
Whatever You're Doing
This year I sense that I'm moving from the place of surrender (taking it with me somehow) into a place of new intimacy. And I'm excited...very excited.
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.
