My Ebenezer

1 Samuel 7:12 (New Living Translation)

12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”

The Ebenezer stone was meant to be a visible reminder of God's faithfulness to the Israelites. I have been thinking about Ebenezer Stones in my life lately. Times in my life when God has proven His faithfulness to me. Times when His hand has guided my life down the path that HE has for me; not the one I thought I wanted. There are 2 rather large stones that really stand out to me. I am sure there are more smaller stones along my path that I have yet to fully give God the glory for.

The first large stone is when I met Pat. My amazing husband of almost 20 years. 20 years. I have been with Pat longer than I lived under the care of my parents. What a blessing. When I met Pat I was still in college, just broken up with a boyfriend that I had clung to for over 2 years. I thought I had a lot vested in that relationship and wasn't sure that I was ready to "rebound" into another relationship. But this Pat guy was very persistent. He knew what he wanted, even if I didn't! God worked His plan and somehow I just followed along, almost blindly. What an amazing journey. Pat and I were married almost 10 months after we first met. There were many people in my life at the time who thought I had lost my mind, but I was not worried, I was never nervous: I felt sure that this is what I was supposed to be doing, even if at the time I wasn't giving God the glory.

My second stone has just recently been erected. I raised this stone just last week, after the death of my dad. God has always been faithful to me, God will always be faithful to me. I have tried for so many years to be a daughter to my mother. To have a relationship based on mutual respect and friendship. For so many years I have tried to work on that relationship, only to have it thrown back in my face in the most hurtful of ways. When my dad died, I had not spoken to my mom in almost a year. Now I was going to have to face this person who disliked me so much. But you know what? It didn't matter once I gave God control. I don't need human approval, God loves me, God will take care of me, God is ALWAYS faithful. God has His plan and I should not be trying to do things MY way, but trying to seek God's will in everything I do. Once I gave my non-existent relationship with my mother up to God....I have had a huge burden lifted from my shoulders! Thank you Jesus!

I want to listen and hear my LORD. I want to give Him glory in all aspects of my life. I want to to follow blindly, firmly knowing that He is forever faithful. I want to rejoice in the path that He takes me. I want to know what exciting things He has planned for my life and I want to see those small Ebenezer stones that will line my path.