Cairns : ii

What's this about stones then? Whether you are into bible stories or not, this one is a neat illustration of how to handle deviations in an otherwise darned fine plan.

There's an ancient story about Joshua leading the Israelites across the Jordan into the promised land. God stacked up the water in a heap so they could all cross to the other side by simply walking right across the riverbed; the twelve huge tribes and all their cattle, trudging over, impossibly on dry ground. God asked that each tribe pick up a stone from the dry riverbed, carry it to the other side, and build a memorial for future generations to remember what had happened once that riverbed was underwater again.

When Joshua received his instruction about being a leader of these tribes to take them into their land, there was nothing in there about getting all the people across a deep, fast-flowing river. That part was a surprise. This was the unexpected twist of a significant nature, in which Joshua was to be brave, remain 'aware', and expect intervention in order for the vision to realise. It was not all about him, but he was the one to maintain a strong grip on the vision for the people while they were all kicking off in the face of a confusing obstacle threatening to derail the plan. That was how God used Joshua to birth a powerful, character-building encounter for thousands of tribespeople. When Joshua hit that riverbank with the tribes on his back, I cannot imagine it was an easy conversation. But he persevered and held his nerve, letting happen what needed to happen from beyond him, and a memorial of stones testifies for the rest of time.

Whether Joshua and Jordan, or our own small rivers which interrupt the plan for a couple of hours, the sensation is the same – the vision meets an obstacle. Being strong here is about firmly clinging to the vision even when significant, real challenges crop up, accepting that things will happen in anyone's plan that could not be foreseen or manipulated. It also suggests that those things are a necessary part of the journey, opportunities to prize our fingers off and let intervention play its part from beyond us, and that we might learn something about our character along the way.

Stones represent things that make no sense and appear to be impossible obstacles, but those things have been overcome, and the overcoming builds essential character on the way towards realising a vision. Hold that nerve. Build that pile of stones, and always remember what it took.

'Only be strong and courageous.'


{Today's Soundtrack: Doves - Some Cities}