Stones

In my life, I've come up against numerous obstacles, ugly giants, and incredible odds. I've had bridges to walk across, difficult paths to take, and dead end roads to endure. I've been involved in situations that I had to bear down and press on more times than I care to count. Along these paths, with God's help, I've learned lessons, discovered truths, and overcome. These paths, these journeys, these stories, I'd like to call "stones".

Throughout my life, I've been challenged to look at each of these stones with 2 options. The choice of which perspective to look at is ultimately up to me. When situations arise, I can look at them as a stepping stones or tombstones. "Will I learn from this situation?" (stepping stone) "Will I allow God to use this situation in my life to help other people?" (stepping stone) "If, after coming up against this stone, will I give up?" (tombstone) "Will I become bitter for having to walk this path?" (tombstone)

I'd like to share here that I've never stood on, rolled in, or thrown a pity-party because of a tombstone, but I can't. Unfortunately, there have been times I've given up, times I've become bitter and times I've regrettably hurt people. The cool thing about God is that He "makes all things new". 2 Corinthains 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! That brings me hope! God can use my tombstone experiences for His glory.

If we share our experiences; if we live out loud; if we not only "talk the talk, but walk the walk" others can learn from our experiences. I'm challenged by the words found in Joshua 4:21 (NLT) "Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?" And with great certainty, we can share in our circle of influence exactly what the Lord has helped us walk through. With the Word of God as our foundation, we will be Godly examples of overcomers that our world is in desperate need of!