Memorial Stones of Remembrance

“And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan

on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Joshua 4:20-24

It's been a year since a fire burnt through the night in our newly bought home that left our living area covered in soot.  Miraculously, by Gods’ grace, the fire was contained in our lounge, but the impact of the fire was visible and felt for many months thereafter. 

Every single item, visible or hidden in drawers or cupboards, was covered by a layer of black soot that had to be painstakingly cleaned.    

As I reflected this week, moving furniture back into position after we had a burst geyser and ceiling replaced in that same area, I found items of furniture that still had traces of that night’s fire. 

We woke as usual to a wakeup alarm that morning before school .  My husband opened the interleading door to our living area, with no idea what he would be confronted with.  The smell of an electrical fire remains etched in my memory.  The walls and ceiling were transformed, blackened by a thick layer of soot, the air smelt toxic BUT I had peace, only Him!

By the grace of God, two nights before the fire, I had closed the windows in that room.  Nothing happens by coincidence and God is faithful and good! The fire originated from an underfloor heating plug hidden behind a curtain.  Had the fire moved beyond that area into our ceiling, it would have had the potential to spread and destroy, taking us in our sleep, but it was confined to an area in our lounge.  Without oxygen, it had slowly smoldered, leaving the residue of soot. God kept us, His angels encamped around us.

I was praying at this time about something very heavy on my heart and I knew it was a moment, a burning bush moment that needed our attention. 

If a light illuminates on your car dash, or smoke rises from under your bonnet, do you keep driving on and ignore the warning signs, or do you stop, open the bonnet and look to see what is going on?

Fire plays a significant role is several stories in the Bible.  This incident reminded me of the story of Moses in Exodus 3 and the burning bush.  Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law in the desert when he saw a bush on fire. He noticed that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. This captured his attention.

A refiner’s fire melts down a metal, such as silver or gold to purify it.  In its molten state, the dross in the metal rises so that it can be separated to purify what is left, “Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for the vessel”, Proverbs 25:4.  God is in the process of refining us so that we may be made holy as He is Holy, without blemish. Not by works, but by faith in the redemptive blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, that no man can boast.

Often in life, we move forward, sweeping the dirt (like dross) of unforgiveness, guilt, shame, pain and brokenness under the carpet.  Perhaps the pain, shame or unforgiveness too great to deal with at the time is left, as a plaster to a wound or a tablet for a symptom, hidden it can fester, take root and grow.  Hiding behind a façade, ‘all is well with my soul’, it is only a matter of time when those things hidden will be brought to the light and exposed to the elements by a spiritual refining process of discipline, testing and trials. 

God will draw out our dross – our broken and sinful ways – to make us a people who walk worthy of His calling.  Like a refining fire to purify and transform us to make us more like Christ, these times in the valley, though difficult, can bring the greatest transformation.  If we will but submit to His Lordship and yield to the work of His Spirit through repentance and faith in God, He will restore us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, bringing us back into a rightful relationship with Him.

As the Israelites layed stones as a memorial to the Lord to remember His goodness, my prayer is that this memory will be forever etched in my mind to remind me of His great love, faithfulness, goodness, grace and mercy, a night that could have turned out so different, a night He spared us, for which I remain forever grateful!