This hymn puzzled me as a child when we sang it at church.
Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I'm come.
The only Ebenezer I could reference was that mean old guy in the Christmas play with all the creepy ghosts. Why would I want to raise him? I don't think he helped me do anything!
When I was older, I became enlightened and learned about the original Ebenezer in the Bible. Ahhh! :
I Samuel 7:12 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 love this real, tangible reminder of God's help that Samuel set up for the Israelites, and I know that I also need those tangible reminders of the great things God has done in my little life. I am so forgetful, and when God does something which at the time seems miraculous, it becomes easy to look back on it with nonchalance. And nonchalance at His goodness and faithfulness is NOT what He has commanded me to teach the next generation. So last fall, when God yet again did what I would have called impossible only the month before, I decided it was time to set up real tangible reminder of what His faithfulness through the years. Here is my Ebenezer!
It's currently on my mantel, but as I collect rocks from all the places God takes us and all the impossible things He does, I'm hoping I'll have to build an Ebenezer patio or waterfall or something.
By the way, a friend thought I'd had the words etched on expensively, but it's actually just a Sharpie. Where would we moms be without Sharpies?
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5 comments:
I love that, what a great idea. Where did Jan end up living?
That's really cool to label the rocks from different places - I have some rocks that I don't remember where they're from. But I do recognize the reddish volcanic one from Mount Vesuvius :-) I made a mountain of snow in my back yard today...
Rocks with words on them. Good concept. And that prepares us for when we die. They lower us in a hole, and on top of us put a rock with words on it. "And he became hungry, and wished to eat something, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance." Acts 10:10 RIP Chip Lind ...
Isn't it amazing how often the Lord tells His people to remember what He's done, to make a memorial and to teach these things to our children. That is one thing that the Lord has revealed to me over and over again as I started in Genesis again last fall; it's everywhere. I LOVE the idea of having a tangible memorial in your home. How easy to have something to point to and say, "Look what God did, kids! He's a good and faithful Father!"
tee hee Chip.
You know, I don't know of a single genetic offspring of the Lind side that does not have this "FEED ME NOW OR BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN" situation.
Jen, thanks for the informative and witty post. I love to read your stuff.
Kerry,
I just point to the Kids, and say "WOW, look what God gave me!"
And, I Sharpie my cell phone number onto my kids' arms when we go to the Big City. "If found, please call . . . . . "
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