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Pick Up the Stone


Every so often I wish a had a “newer” or more  recent story to tell about God and what He has done for me. I still share 10 years later about surviving stage 3C  ovarian cancer (which doctors didn’t expect). The enemy tries to convince me that it’s “old news.” People don’t want to hear about it any more. What I’ve been failing to see is that no matter how long ago in the past it happened, if God was in the process, it is STILL a testimony. The testimony will NEVER lose its power! We still talk about the miracle of the resurrection and it’s been 2000 years!!

It’s a testimony not just because of what I went through but because of what I learned from God in the process. It’s a miracle because I am not supposed to be here still but I am. I don’t focus on all the awful, painful things I had to endure but I focus on the fact that God was with me. It’s what I did and it’s what God told me to do that I did.

To me, the fact that I suffered and endured pain proves I am worth something to God. He chose to use me in the middle of my roaring river. It was my starting place for something great. Yes, I whined and cried through some of it but I went through what was placed in my life and was determined not to waste it. I was determined as a believer to learn and grow from it. God demonstrated His power in my weakness! He showed me that he doesn’t always rescue us in the midst of difficult things, but He uses them to walk with us and grow us.

In Joshua chapter 4, God tells Joshua as they are crossing the river, “each of you lift a stone for each tribe so that this will be a sign among you. In the future when your children ask you, ‘what do these stones mean to you?’ You should tell them.” Explain the stones will always be a memorial of what God has done.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, God gave me the scripture in Isaiah 43:2 “when you walk through the waters, you’ll not drown.” I did feel like I was drowning but He asked me to pick up a stone in the midst of the river of cancer. I picked up the stone. The stone I picked up represented to me that I would not drown - I would not die. That didn’t seem possible to me but I picked up that stone anyway and hung onto it. That stone was a sign for in the future that I would use to testify! It will always be a memorial to me.

The people continued standing in the middle of the river until “everything was completed.” I picked up my stone while I was still in the middle of my river-still in treatment. Then they set up 12 more stones on dry land. I set up another stone when I was declared “cancer free” and lay that stone in a bowl in my home.

The Israelites were told “you shall tell your children and grandchildren and all people what God did.” You shall testify. Those stones are a memorial so that “all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is mighty!” I tell my children and grandchildren and anyone who wants to listen that each stone in my bowl testifies of the goodness and faithfulness of God so all the people of the earth may know the Lord’s hand was mighty in my life and can be mighty in your life!

If you’ve ever picked up a stone out of a river, you probably noticed it’s smooth. Why is it smooth? It’s smooth because of a process of being worn away by exposure to outside elements. When you pick up a stone to be used as a memorial, it is that way because of exposure to outside elements. When you feel like you’re drowning in a river of struggles, you are being exposed to outside elements-fear, disease, addictions. Those elements are what make you smooth and usable as a memorial or testimony.

God will dry up enough water in your struggles until you pass across “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty”! Josh. 4:24 Your stones are a reminder of God’s power and a way to testify about what God has done and what you learned from your struggle.

When you’re in a difficult situation and feel like you’re drowning, pick up a stone and remember this is part of your future testimony!




 
 
 

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