When having some morning devotional time on October 12, 2021 in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, up in the lovely Door County peninsula between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, I read an insightful message from Sarah Young‘s book, Jesus Today. It was a message of focus/perspective. To paraphrase the message, if you were to stand on the edge of the ocean (God’s presence), bend down to pick up a “pebble” (a problem or concern), and hold that “pebble” close to your face to examine it, then you would miss out on the beautiful view of the ocean, as it fades into the background. The focus on a problem or concern would obscure your opportunity to see God in the beauty of your life.

https://youtu.be/gz-0TUbkbVE

Serendipitously, the day I read this meditation was the same day that Bruce and I headed out on a bike ride and to sprinkle some of Will’s ashes along the rocky shoreline of Tennison Bay, inside Peninsula State Park. For over 50 years the extended Hedgepeth family has visited this park on the edge of Green Bay, first with Bruce, his parents Bob and Eenie, and his sister Linda; later the visits included our children, Linda’s husband Colin, Colin’s children, Cindy’s parents, some of Pop and Eenie’s long-time friends, and Pop’s current wife Jan.

Somewhere between six to ten of us would bike together and stop at numerous places along the bike trail to skip stones in the water. Bike riding for the Hedgepeth clan up in Door County was always at break-neck speed, through the beautiful state park. Let me tell you, those Hedgepeth’s were serious cyclists and, even as a young adult, I would struggle to not be left behind as they dashed up the steep paths that ran up along the cliffs of Green Bay. So, my memories of the stone-skipping time was where I appreciated getting to catch my breath, enjoy the bay views and count the number of stone skips by my guys. Will and Bruce loved to skim stones on the shoreline… to see who could have the most skips and skim their stone the furthest. In summer or fall, whenever our family was able, we would travel from Florida up to this far away, holy, and precious place, to spend uninterrupted time together and build memories. With Will now gone, I look back and I am so very glad that we took every photo that we did and that we built scrapbooks with every memory that we captured.  Here are a few.

So, on that cool, overcast October day in 2021, after part of our bike ride through the park, we paused so I could catch my breath and Bruce could collect and skip stones. I have to say that Bruce was a bit out of practice… three skips were the best he could manage. But that didn’t matter as we shared the time there on the rocky shore remembering Will and our special times on this favorite place by the bay. 

Remembering my Jesus Today morning’s devotion, I gazed out on the cove of the bay, and picked up a rather plain, small stone to examine it. I held it to my face and watched as the bigger picture of the muted beauty of Green Bay around me disappeared.  

Yes, I can appreciate Sarah Young’s “pebble” example. I know from personal experience that when I examine my problems, pain, and struggles too closely for too long that it does indeed cause me to lose my perspective of God’s beautiful world and His awesome power. Likewise, in my grief and pain of losing Will, I could easily lose the perspective of how God provided for us and allowed us, as a family, to travel for decades to create beautiful memories in that special place. I would not have been able to stand on that shoreline and feel the joy, love, and grief that I felt if it weren’t for God’s faithfulness to our extended family. Yes, I ached for Will so much… what a joy it would be to have seen him skimming stones with Bruce that day or to hear him laughing with Kate as he agitated her to race their bikes along the trails. As the anniversary of Will’s passing was almost upon us… I celebrated the eternal perspective of Will’s total healing and frequent wellbeing that God has allowed me to have… thanks to His salvation and love. 

Thinking of stones reminds me of several passages in the Old Testament. The first is from the book of Genesis 35:9-15, where Jacob met God, who changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and he set up a rock to mark the very spot. Likewise, when the Israelites, under the direction of Joshua, after they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground (24:1-28) and established a covenant with the Lord. In both examples, stones were stacked to memorialize something very important.  Stones were placed so that they could stand as a tangible reminder, for generations, that our God is faithful… that He will provide… that He will protect… that He will guide… that He is good.  Yes, promises of faithfulness, provision, protection, and guidance. God, in return, expects this faithfulness to be reciprocated. I personally need reminders of this as much as the Israelites did.  I know that having Christ as my Savior is one thing but to trust Him enough to be the Lord of my everyday life… well, that is an entirely different thing. To appreciate the beauty and perspective that God can give me of my life, which requires me to monitor where I allow my focus to rest. It is so easy for me to keep the eyes of my heart focused on my grief or the questions I have about how God wants me to use my time in the future, instead of keeping my focus on God.

“…Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” Philippians 4:8  

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” 

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Did you know that stones and rocks are mentioned over 50 times throughout scripture? If these “stones” were combined they would create one large and durable structure… a reminder for us to always look to God as our strength, stability, provision, and hope. After all, he established that perspective with a promise to Jacob and Joshua many generations ago… His promises to us today are just a firm… as firm as stone. 

https://youtu.be/YihKbG8-X3U

Camp and Ned Beasley, respectively.

Given that today is Easter Monday, as we Christ followers refer to it, it’s another reason to think of another specific 2 ton stone… one that was that was rolled away.  After Christ was crucified, dead and buried, He fought with Satin and beat him, took all our sins off our shoulders, and was raised from the dead, so that we could spend eternal life with Him. The stone represents a barrier of death from life. Focusing on the stone brings thoughts of death, heaviness, a sad final closure. But in Christ’s case and therefore in ours, the stone was rolled away… it is removed… there is nothing in the way anymore. Death could not hold Him in the grave. Thanks be to God for the love, power, faithfulness, and hope that He wants us to see. Won’t you come look with me at the beauty in our lives and “stack up stones” of remembrance of God’s love, provision, hope, guidance, and… ? Yes, Thanks be to God!

https://youtu.be/r5L6QlAH3L4