A Special Dinner

The weekend before last we hosted a dinner here. The guests were five of the six women who attended the Five Aspects of Woman Bible study and their husbands. Matt pulled out our table to it's full ten foot length and I pulled out our wedding china, which has only been used a handful of times since we were married. I didn't have quite enough place settings, so my mom let me borrow some of the china that belonged to her mother, my grandmother. My mother-in-law let me borrow her sliver, which belonged to Matt's grandmother. So the table was set with things which represent over two centuries of convenantal marital faithfulness.
After we ate dinner, Matt asked each of the men to speak a blessing over their wives. Hearing those men describe the love they have for their wives (and in one case, future wife) was incredible. Some of the men spoke directly to how the Five Aspects of Woman Bible study transformed their wives and made them more lovely. I was so pleased to hear this. There were times this past year when I really didn't think I could continue to lead that group of women, but I persevered and with the Lord's help, I completed the study. I am so glad I did. Marriages were transformed, as I prayed they would be. God is so good!

When the men finished saying their blessings, Matt read this passage from the book of Joshua:
And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. Josh. 4:5-8

Amongst the china and the silver, six stones were set on the table. Matt told each couple to take a stone home and place it in a designated place as a memorial to all that the Lord has done this past year. He told them to tell their children of the Lord's faithfulness. As each couple took their stone and left to go home, I thought of all the Lord accomplished this year through His Word.  I was completely overwhelmed.  When we are faithful to serve Him, God can turn our small acts of obedience into fruit that reflects His glory.