"Spiritual Memorials"

A memorial is something to preserve a person or an event. Maybe you've seen some of the memorials around the country like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Vietnam Vets Memorial Wall, or the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima Memorial. They all have a powerful meaning behind them and serve to remind us of a person, people, or a very important event.

In Joshua Chapter 4, the nation of Israel had just crossed over the Jordan River. Joshua choose twelve men from each tribe to take twelve stones and pile them up in the middle of the Jordan River in front of the Ark of the Lord. Then in verses 6-7 we read, "We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, "What do these stones mean? Then you can tell them, "They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's Covenant went across." These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever." 

Amazing! These Israelite parents were commanded to be prepared to give an answer to their children when asked what the memorial meant! Notice, the PARENTS were told to tell THEIR children the meaning behind the memorial! Children/Teenagers have questions, but will we be prepared to have the answers?

Whether we realize it or not, we all have "Spiritual Memorials" in our lives. Do we provide our children/teenagers the opportunity to ask questions about these significant spiritual events that have taken place in our lives and families?

A "Spiritual Memorial" in my life is August 31, 1997--the day I was born-again. When August 31st rolls around every year, I can tell my children, "Today is a VERY, VERY special day" to which they respond, "Why, Daddy?" I then have the opportunity to explain to them the "meaning behind the memorial" which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that transformed my life!" Maybe you have memorials like the day you found out a loved one was sick, but how God gave you the strength, or a day that someone was healed, or a marriage restored, or some other significant event. These are opportunities to explain to our children, "Look what God has done!"

What "Spiritual Memorials" do you have in your life? How can you use them to answer the questions that will arise from the curiosity of children/teenagers?