Pampered by God
“Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)
Throughout my teaching, speaking, and writing, I often encourage young wives and moms to remember and record their family’s memorial stone stories.
Memorial Stones are reminders that God is our Rock (Psalm 18:1), a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). A memorial stone event occurs when we face a seemingly impossible situation, but we step out in faith and obedience. God then delivers us in a miraculous way. The result is that we get the victory; God gets the glory; and we then have “our story for His glory.” Those stories become reminders to remember, rehearse, and recall God’s faithfulness and provision.
Ask any of my children for an Evans’ memorial stone story and you will get just one answer: “The diapers.”
Daniel, our youngest and fourth child, was born in late January, 1988. (I’ve written about that here.) Two weeks after Daniel’s birth, it was time to write our monthly tithe check. My husband Bruce was taking our older two children to church that Sunday morning while I stayed home with the baby and three-year-old James Bruce. Right before he left, Bruce asked me to write our tithe check.
“Bruce, we’re in trouble,” I replied. “We can eat and tithe; we can eat and do diapers for two kids; or we can not eat, tithe, and do diapers, but we can’t eat, tithe, and do diapers. There’s just no way.”
Bruce was unwavering, “Write the check. God knows where we are.”
“And where we are is in trouble,” I insisted as I grudgingly wrote our tithe check.
Later that day, I kept worrying before finally praying, “Lord we’re in trouble. Bruce says You know where we are, but where we are is in trouble. Please help us.”
Truthfully in my mind and heart, I had two possible solutions. God would send us extra money to cover our budget needs (that always works!!), or He would miraculously and quickly potty train James Bruce who was almost four years old. Of my two possible solutions, I preferred the latter, but truthfully, I doubted God’s ability or willingness to do either.
The next afternoon I was nursing the baby in our living room when Bruce got home from work. Opening the front door, Bruce laughed as he said, “Donna, come out to the driveway. I’ve got a surprise for you!’
“I’m nursing the baby,” I protested.
“Bring the baby,” Bruce said firmly.
Grudgingly I quit nursing Daniel, wrapped him tightly in his blanket, and groused as I went outside to the driveway.
Standing beside his old 1978 blue pick-up truck, Bruce proudly displayed his big surprise. The whole back of the truck’s long bed was loaded with baby diapers! Huggies, Luvs, Pampers, and generic diapers of all different sizes were piled so high that I was surprised none of them had fallen out on the trip home from school.
“Where did these come from?” I asked incredulously.
“The faculty,” Bruce laughed. “They gave me a surprise baby shower after school this afternoon and said, “Every dad deserves to be pampered!”
I began weeping with gratitude and joy. God not only pampered us with diapers; He showered us with grace. This was truly a holy ground moment for me personally and for us as a family. We didn’t buy a single diaper for four months. By then, I was able to return to my part-time job.
1 Samuel 7 records a memorial stone event in the life of the nation of Israel. Following Israel’s great and unexpected victory over the Philistines, Samuel takes a stone, sets it up, names it Ebenezer or “stone of help,” and explains its significance: “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Old Testament Scholar Ralph Davis in his excellent book 1 Samuel Looking on the Heart writes, “With his Ebenezer monument Samuel seeks to rivet Israel’s memory to the past and most current of Yahweh’s mercies. He knows that it is memory that keeps gratitude fresh and that gratitude keeps faith faithful… We stand in the present but dwell on the past in order that we can be steadfast for the future.”
Our Evans diaper memorial stone story is important because it was the first one we all can remember, but it certainly wasn’t our last. Time and time again, God has proven himself faithful to meet our every need: college scholarships; jobs; marriage partners; grandchildren; programs and placements for James Bruce. The Evans’ memorial stone list continues to grow. We join Samuel in declaring, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” (1 Samuel 7:12)
What about you? When have you “punched faith’s replay button” (Davis) by remembering God’s faithfulness in your own life or family? What are you doing to keep gratitude fresh or to keep faith faithful?
May we all remember, rehearse, and recall God’s faithfulness in our lives and have our stories for His glory.