I like to build things, albeit I’m not very good at it, but still I love hard work and seeing progress at the end of a day. One of my life goals is to build a small log cabin with a stone fireplace in the woods with my own hands, and then on cold winter days and nights go out and enjoy its cozy warmth.

As I write this, there is a weariness in my body and heart and I want to find rest. I am in a season where even my sleep is restless, and today’s passage reminds me that time alone with the Lord when we are weary is vital; it matters on an exponential scale. 

When we would go on a family trip with three young children, I always wanted to drive through the night to make good time while the kids were asleep. In this season of life I learned the art of the power nap.

The crossing of the Jordan symbolizes many things for us and for the Israelites. For the Israelites it symbolized them coming from wilderness to the land of milk and honey, from wandering to rest, from mana to the fruit of the land, from desert, defeat, and disobedience, to life and freedom.

Memorial Day, a day we remember those who served and lost their lives for our country. Fireworks on the 4th of July, a remembrance of our freedom. Trophies, a symbol of a victory. Twelve stones stacked at Gilgal, a remembrance of the whole nation of Israel crossing the Jordan on dry ground to enter the Promised Land.