By Rev. Gregory S. Smith

“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

Joshua 4:6-7 NLT

In Joshua 4 :: The Israelites were instructed by Joshua to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over and put them down at the place.” to serve as a sign among them of how God made provisions for the children of Israel to cross over with the ark of the covenant.

Your Stone

Have you yet stood in Jordan’s river
To pick your stone today?
Have you yet searched far wide and deep to give your stone it’s say;
Have you gathered yet the heavy stones and carried them to be,
A necessary memorial for this town and world to see;
Have you yet stretched through the turbulence,
Through added storm and rain;
Have you endured the treacherous path without some selfish gain;
Have you etched on so worthily, engraved on bended knee,
The message so our children know just how they came to be;

So deep within the rivers earth a stone still bears our name,
Awaiting for our struggle to release it from the same,
To carry through the murky path to perch on drier sand,
To offer insight to this world on how we will withstand;
The stone, though heavy, needs to be unearthed by you today,
Its message found, though far beneath, still helps to pave the way!
It serves no purpose deep within, it bears no light to see;
It’s beauty deep and glimmering deserves the world to see;
So do the work despite the pain to bring it to the shore;
Dispel the myths that others tell and make OUR story soar;
Your stone with aid the hand of God, declaring for all to be,
The stone that bears your special name will set the captive free!