Raising Your Ebenezer

“After this happened Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen.  He named the stone Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord has helped us to this point.”  I Samuel 7:12

We sat in our living room for several hours sharing memories from childhood and talked about the people in our lives during that time.  We laughed.  We asked questions.  We ate cookies and ice cream. We talked about cars, John Deere tractors, and first jobs.  My siblings, cousin and partners spent the afternoon remembering. Then we described our parents with memories to support our perspective.  When I asked how my siblings would describe our mom, my cousin immediately replied, “She was a sweetheart.”  Yes, she was.

My faith foundation was built through my mom and my Grandma (my dad’s mother).  My mom taught Sunday School, read her Bible, was a prayer warrior, and was a living testimony of Jesus.  She was known for her knowledge of the Bible, and she knew where to find something in the Scriptures.  Even her pastors would rely on her knowledge.  Her faith was strong, quiet, and it sustained her throughout life.  I so enjoyed over the years all my conversations with my mom about what a certain Scripture meant to her.  Being the youngest, I had the privilege of more one on one time with my mom after all my siblings left home and started their own lives.

As I have matured, I realize I have other traits and mannerisms that I have acquired from my mom – her love for baking and chocolate, her way of dealing with situations, her love for nature, the desire to read, and so many other pieces that fit into my foundation and make it strong. My mom has been an Ebenezer – a stone of help – throughout my life and even after her death.  She encouraged me through letters that I still possess and read from time to time.  Just knowing I have her tangible words in writing gives me hope and strength, and it makes me feel like she is with me.

My Mom’s knowledge was amazing.  She was my Google before Google was invented.  She was my “go to” person with all types of questions.  My mom was brilliant in her own humble, gentle way.  I still ask myself in many situations, “OK, mom, how do you do this?  What would you do?”

As I think about the foundation of life, it is built on faith in Jesus, trust, relationships, values and morals.  The spaces and cracks are filled in by Ebenezers – stones of help.  Who have been stones of help to you on your journey of life?  Some people come for a moment in our life to help us deal with a situation or give us guidance and teach us valuable lessons that we incorporate into our foundation.

When I meet with families to plan a funeral and to help them begin the process of sharing stories and memories, I ask, “What difference has your loved one made in your life?  What is their legacy for you?”  In essence, how have they built upon your foundation of life and been stones of help to you?  As we look back, we see the difference and when we look forward after time has passed, we recognize how they are still influencing our lives.

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate our moms whether they are here on earth or in heaven.  My mom is living abundantly in Heaven with her Lord and Savior, Jesus.  Her love and influence continue to live in my life and heart.  She has been a stone of help to me.  Her faithfulness in writing to me during my college and seminary years and first years in ministry sustained me knowing I always had an encourager.  She lived her dream of college through me.  I was gifted with a wonderful mom who remains part of my foundation of life.

Stones of help guide us to certain points in our lives.  Look for stones along the way.  We all need help if we admit it.  God created us to be in relationships, and we need to reach out to others and be stones of help along their path too.  Recognize those who have helped you.  Give thanks for the stones.

Who are your Ebenezers – stones of help?  How can you be an Ebenezer to others?

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