Walk with me. It’s the dry season, but the grass has been mowed. Ordinary shoes will do fine. Grasshoppers sense us coming, so they jump out of the way just before we come upon them. Dragonflies zip here and there, on the grass and in the water. And depending on their mood, but especially if a cat or two follow us, the barn swallows are out calling to one another and swooping at us.

If that doesn’t deter you, then by now we’ve made it out to the pond in my back yard. It’s a beautiful, modest body of water, almost the size of a quarter mile track. On the north side, you probably won’t notice much besides the cornfield encasing the pond to the north and east. But as we go into the first curve, you might catch your first glimpse of a rock. There, a little further around, now on the east side, you’ll spot a second, then a third. As we walk on the outside of these large rocks along the footpath being worn into the landscape, you’ll notice even more of them.

The previous owners seemed to have a thing for rocks. There are several around the property in odd spots. But that’s funny you should ask. I thought the same thing when we first moved out here, five years ago.” We continue to walk. Slowly, we make our way around the pond a few times, stopping to peer at fish in the water, say hello to the ducks, and by this time, the dog has probably joined us, taken a dip and shaken dry next to us. We keep talking about the rocks.

Early on, in the saga of God’s people, after they wandered in the wilderness due to unbelieving hearts, they’re finally about to enter and settle in the land God promised them. As they did, God gave them instructions, a way to remember Him, to believe, and to pass on the stories of what God had done for them.

While God stopped the Jordan river in the middle of its flood stage, some men carried the ark of the covenant to the middle of the river. It was dry ground. The people then crossed safely from one side to the other. One man from each of Isreal’s twelve tribes picked up a stone from where the ark of the covenant was. They were to take these stones into the promised land. When everyone had passed through and the river began to flow again, Joshua set up those stones.

Then, he said to the people, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over. This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is strong, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God,” (Joshua 4:21-24).

And that’s why I write today, to remember, to believe, and to tell my children the stories of God’s wonderous works in my own life. The story of the exodus, Isreal’s time in the wilderness and in the promised land has been a peculiar interest of mine. So, when I began to see a variety of parallels between Isreal’s story and my own, I began to lean in. It turns out I’m a lot like God’s people, frequently guilty of unbelief, idolatry, and a host of other sins we uncover throughout scripture.

But the God of the Old Testament is the same God of today. He still does wonderous works. He still pours out grace, faithfulness, justice, and mercy. He’s still with us, and He still sees us. His promises are true, and they’re still playing out for our good and his glory.

This blog is a collection of stories of how it came to be that you and I went walking around my pond, counting stones. And it all began with a dream …

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Hey friend, thanks so much for checking out my new blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and will consider how God’s word is living and active today, just as much as when these stories were written long ago! For your reflection, what did you learn about God today based on what He told Joshua and the people of Isreal? I encourage you to believe that He is exactly that for you too. Look for how He’s trying to show you who He really is.

Enjoy your day!

Elizabeth

Christian Standard Bible. Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%204&version=CSB. Accessed September 1, 2025.

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