One summer day, our grand boys were visiting with us. Their mommy took them out in the back yard to play. For some reason, the 3 year old discovered for the first time, some stepping stones my husband had laid in the yard a few years earlier. The stones led from the back gate to the cement slab that our hot tub is on. He loved stepping on the stones. He and mommy made a game out of stepping on these stones.
I was thinking of stones in general and if you have little boys, you will most likely find stones in the pockets of their jeans. Boys will usually call them “rocks”. Some stones are small enough that a preschooler can clench several in their little fists. Other “rocks” can be carried with two hands. There is something about little boys and stones. They love to collect them.
Would you believe the other day, when I was cleaning out a closet, I found a rock collection my husband has kept since his high school days. Hmmm. So there must be an instinct in the male gender that has a liking for stones. Maybe it is because stones are hard, solid, useable, and sturdy.
When I think of what stones are, I think of Christ being our Rock.
I Corinthians 10:4 “and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ”
Psalm 61:2b “…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I”
The Bible tells us that if man does not praise the Lord, the stones will cry out and praise Him.
Luke 19:40 “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
And remember Easter Sunday morning: Matthew 28:2,5-6a “And behold , there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for his is risen , as he said…”
Then there are beautiful stones that will be in heaven:
Revelation 18:16 “And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!”
Revelation 21:19a “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.”
When a person thinks of relationships rather it is with family, or friends, we consider our connection with them to be loving, sincere, and rock solid. Last year a friend sent me the following e-mail that puts the right perspective on relationships and circumstances:
Stone
Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument. One friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: ‘Today my best Friend slapped me in the face.’
They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning. But the friend saved him.
After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: “Today, my best friend saved my life’!
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, ‘After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?’
The friend replied, ‘when someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away, But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it’.
Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in Stone!!!!!
Take the time to Live!!!
Do not value the things you have in your life, but value WHO you have known in your life!
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending!!
by Emma Holmes – (http://www.bedeliberate.com/today-my-best-friend-slapped-me-in-the-face/)