GodandMe2theMax

Every good and perfect gift, even COVID and 2020

For many, 2020 is the year that was. For me, it was a year of blessings, so many that I cannot help but publicly praise God for all that He did.

2020 marked my 29^th year in the travel industry. My job has been very stressful for many years, and toward the middle of 2019, I was praying God would provide a way of escape for me. In November of 2019, I was promoted to be in charge of training for all of North America for Key Travel. I thought that was how God was answering my prayers for a way of escape, but little did I know what God had planned on the horizon. How little did we all know what 2020 would hold.

COVID devastated the travel industry, perhaps like no other industry. April 10^th was my last day with Key Travel, and God allowed me to exit with maximum severance offered. Two weeks later, nearly all the rest of the operations staff in the US was let go, with virtually no severance. While I certainly never expected to leave my position at Key Travel without having another one lined up, God had other plans. 

I’m here to testify that when things don’t go the way we plan or expect, we need to remember that God’s plans are always so much better than ours. Always.

After being rejected for a job at AAA, with the rejection letter saying I wasn’t qualified (even though the job was doing the exact same as my first management job with AAA), I realized it was because I had never finished my Bachelors degree. Had the COVID domino not fallen over on the travel industry, I never would have been motivated to complete my degree. Yet, in just over 4 months, by God’s grace, I completed 29 credit hours and received my Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (focus areas of Education and Business) from Liberty University – exactly 30 years after I withdrew after my junior year.

And of course, commencement was cancelled at Liberty University due to COVID, but that didn't stop us from celebrating. I planned a full commencement ceremony, including all the fanfare, with Dr. Frank Banfill bringing the commencement address. It truly was one of the happiest days of my life. Only God could bring such joy because of the COVID domino.

My final capstone class for my degree also birthed an idea for a future business. The details of that idea are still "percolating" -- stay tuned. But again, had the COVID domino not hit, we would never even be discussing it as an option. 

In July, Frank decided we needed to get away. I fought it. Big time. I was buried in my final Capstone class, and it was extremely time-demanding. Besides, who travels on an international vacation right in the middle of a pandemic? Well, the Banfills did, and it was amazing. Jamaica had very few cases, and Frank felt strongly that we should plan to go -- in faith -- knowing the booking allowed us to re-schedule without penalty. We have no regrets; it was truly one of the best trips of our life!

God provided a “deserted beach vacation” in the middle of a global pandemic. It was a much-needed blessing, and I believe we were safer on that deserted beach than if we stayed at home! Our entire plane had to produce negative COVID tests, and once we arrived, the Jamaican government made us all re-take the COVID tests. Who would have thought that the COVID domino could bring such joy, but it did…in abundance!

 

To say the beach was deserted is an understatement.

The COVID domino also hit KiDs Beach Club, where Frank is the VP of Strategy and Growth. Last year, they had over 300 schools across the nation who partnered with them, holding Beach Clubs in public schools. In 2020, that number dropped to about 7, thanks to COVID. KBC didn’t let COVID stop them from pursuing what God called them to do, and when kids could no longer come to Beach Club at their local school, KBC made the decision to bring Beach Club to them – in their homes. Thus, the “Beach Club at Home” concept was birthed: create 30-minute professionally produced “Beach Club at Home” tv-quality episodes that mirror the elements found in the live Beach Clubs. It was all happening very fast, with no money budgeted to make it happen. But God knew that the COVID domino was going to hit, and He miraculously prepared the generous hearts of donors to give BIG. The first 6 episodes of “Beach Club at Home” were launched, providing a way for kids to interact and experience what was no longer possible within their local schools.

However, the original production company decided to topple their own domino; for KBC, it initially looked devastating. The production company said they could no longer write and produce the remaining 15 needed episodes and basically said what KiDs Beach Club was asking was impossible. Looking back, I’m reminded of Matthew 19:26 for sure!

Frank spearheaded the “Beach Club at Home” project, and I will never forget the look on his face as he told me what the original production company said. In case you don't know him, you should know that Frank is a leader that is not easily discouraged. Yet that afternoon, he really was distressed, trying to understand how God wanted KBC to move forward after hitting such a concrete wall. Trying to brainstorm with him, I told him I could write the remaining 15 episodes. I really threw that out there only to try to show him there were options. It was a grasp at straws of desperation. In nearly 30 years of marriage, I so rarely have seen him even close to discouraged, and I had to do something!

I’ll be honest. I really didn’t think that domino would fall in the direction I suggested. I kind of "thought" I could write the episodes, but the doubt-meter definitely swayed more on the “NO” side of the pendulum. And it was definitely a lot harder than I thought! But, KBC needed a writer, and nothing else was materializing.

We decided for me to write my first screenplay and submit it to the KiDs Beach Club president anonymously. This would avoid embarrassment for me, had he not liked what I created, and it would avoid apparent conflict of interest for Frank. That’s when the original production company’s domino intersected with mine. Jack Terrell, the KBC founder and president LOVED what I had created. He didn’t know I had it in me, and to be honest, I didn’t either. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that God would provide for KiDs Beach Club while simultaneously providing for our financial needs in 2020 by having me write and sell 15 original screenplays! God worked out all the rest of the details for a new production company, CRM Studios. Most of the filming for all the episodes is now complete and in post-production. Only God could orchestrate what has taken place!  He crumbled the financial mountains for KiDs Beach Club to make this happen, and somehow, all my crazy ideas for the scripts came to life.

KiDs Beach Club at Home
(Episodes 1-6 were done by the original production company, and I wrote the remaining episodes. More will be added in February)

 

The COVID domino also tumbled over our health, with both Frank and I contracting COVID. His case was much worse than mine, developing double pneumonia, a blood clot in his lung, and spending 5 days in the hospital. My doctor said he is lucky to be alive, but we know luck has nothing to do with it. The fact that he is alive is 100% God. Perhaps even more miraculous, He spared my 80-year old mother (who lives with us), keeping her from catching it.

In 2020, I learned it's ok to not be ok. (Taken from my favorite song of the year: by Matthew West, Truth Be Told)
In 2020, I learned that it’s ok to not be constantly busy.
In 2020, I realized that I had let WORK snatch me from the things that really mattered. Losing my job was an incredible blessing.
In 2020, I saw God provide for our family in miraculous ways.
In 2020, I re-discovered my love for creativity that had been stolen by my stress-filled job (whether through writing or creating "masterpieces" like the tree picture below (term used loosely) or the table trivets I started making as gifts. And who knows, maybe I'll start really blogging again.

And on the last day of 2020, I read the words that for 13 years running, I still do not take for granted: “Cancer markers undetectable.”

Yes, 2020 was good to me. I'm actually kind of sad to see it go, because I don't know how 2021 could top it! Sure, like many others, I could dwell on the negative domino effect and bring in the new year thanking God it’s over. But the TRUTH BE TOLD, I’m a much happier version of “me” going into 2021 than I was going into 2020.

I praise God for every good and perfect gift, including COVID and 2020.

 

-- Beth Banfill
[email protected]

 

 

A call to prayer - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 - will you enlist?

Brave Gideon had 300 men, the Mideonites had a host.
But Gideon had the Lord with him, and so he had the most.
Gideon had the Lord!  Gideon had the Lord!
He won the fight with the Mideonites, for Gideon had the Lord!

If you grew up in Sunday School like I did, perhaps you know the words to this song and were humming along as you read them.  As I share this morning, not only do I remember this old tune, but for our family this Wednesday, the story of Gideon takes on deeper meaning. 

In the eight year history of Maxpoint Ministries, founded by my husband Frank Banfill, we’ve never had a global call to prayer for our family and our ministry. The time is now.  We desperately are asking that you lift our ministry and our family up before Father, specifically this Wednesday, January 23^rd. (Of course, if you want to pray for us in between, then by all means, do!)

Gideon’s army was facing a mighty battle; one that looked insurmountable to the human eye.  But nothing is insurmountable when you have the Lord, and we know that.  So just as brave Gideon saw a mighty miracle take place as God used him and 300 men, we are asking God to give us an army of 300 people who will commit to pray specifically for our ministry and our family (Frank, Beth, Amber, and Jacob) on Wednesday.  We would ask that you pray for three things:  WISDOM, CLEAR DIRECTION FROM GOD, and for PROVISION.

Please pray as the Lord leads, but here are some of the Scriptures that we will be praying this Wednesday:

“Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
--Isaiah 49:23b

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times,having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
--II Corinthians 9:8

“I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”
--Revelation 3:8a

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.”
--James 1:5

If you will commit to pray for us, please comment on this blog, on my facebook page, tweet “praying” to @frankbanfill, or send me an email. If you prefer to text me, then by all means, do so!  Just let me know in some way of your commitment to pray for us.  We are asking God for that army of 300, just like Gideon’s army.

If you’re reading this, then at some point, our lives have become intertwined.  Maybe we have gone on mission trips together, attend church together or have in the past.  Some of you reading this went to college or high school with me.  And yes, I can definitely think of some who are reading this now who actually attended elementary school with me!  Perhaps our lives are connected because of our 16 year old daughter’s numerous mission trip outreaches and public speaking successes.  Maybe we’ve been able to minister to you through sharing how God’s grace has been demonstrated in the life of our 14-year old son who has overcome so many challenges (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfpKq-1rH4A).   Maybe our lives have been laced together through sharing my cancer story and God's healing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCN2MGSzym4).

Perhaps you’re reading this post because someone has passed the link on to you over the course of time or maybe you just stumbled across it “by chance”.  I truly believe that there are no “chances” with God, and if you are reading this, then God has a reason for it.  I am asking that you pray for our family and our ministry.  We are asking God for an army of 300, just like Gideon had, and I am asking you to let me know that you will be praying. 

Will you enlist, if just for a day, this Wednesday, January 23^rd?

*Pray for Frank, Beth, Amber, and Jacob Banfill
*Pray for Maxpoint Ministries
*Pray for WISDOM
*Pray for CLEAR DIRECTION FROM GOD
*Pray for PROVISION

Thank you in advance for being a part of the army!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Living Stones

  "...and Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.
He said to the Israelites, in the future, when your descendants ask their fathers,
'What do these stones mean?' Tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'
For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over...
He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God."
Joshua 4:19-24

 

Living Stones

A pile of rocks.  Placed years ago.
A faithful God.  A miracle.
And they were there.  To not forget.
So all who passed.  Knew what they meant.

They were Living Stones.
Breathing God’s faithful past.
They were Living Stones.
Predicting God’s future acts.
What He did back then, He’ll do for me.
Past performance predicts eternity.
I can look back and know the future.
Just look at the Living Stones.

My heart, Your home.  Your home, my heart.
Foundation sure.  My God, My Rock.
Let my lips say what’s deep inside.
So there’s no doubt.  That You reside.

(Let me be a) Living Stone.
Breathing Your faithful past.
Let me be a Living Stone.
Predicting Your future acts.
What You did back then.  What you did for me.
Your past performance predicts eternity.
I can look back and know the future.
Let me be a Living Stone.

Though the winds may blow.  I won’t be moved.
My foundation sure.  Living Hope in You.
Grounded and secure.  In all You do.
I can look back and know the future.
 

"As you come to Him, the Living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy preisthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For in Scripture it says:
'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.'  Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.  But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejectd has become the capstone,' and 'A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.'  They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they were destined for.  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light."
I Peter 2:4-9

  

 Living Stone Fountain
We will dedicate it today at 4 PM to remember "the hand of the Lord is powerful"
and to commemorate the 5 year anniversary of God healing me.

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

Propaganda or Living Stones (Part Two)

 "...and Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.
He said to the Israelites, in the future, when your descendants ask their fathers,
'What do these stones mean?' Tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'
For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over...
He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God."

Joshua 4:19-24

 

Some of you may know my story, some do not.  Track with me, please, because this concept of Living Stones, combined with the timing of this weekend, is my driving force in writing right now. 

It was five years ago this summer that I found out I had Follicular Thyroid Cancer.  I underwent back-to-back surgeries, an extensive (and expensive) radiation treatment, followed by something called an "i-131 Whole Body Scan."  Here's how it works.  Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body that soak up iodine.  For two weeks prior to the first radiation treatment, I had to be on a low-iodine diet, basically starving my cells of iodine.  Then I went to the Nuclear Medicine department of Baylor in downtown Dallas, signed my life away, and swallowed a radioactive iodine pill.  I had to stay in isolation for several days, and then I had to go back to Baylor for this big body scan.  As the pill made its way through my system, it would kill any remaining thyroid cells along the way, but if there was any area that had a large amount of thyroid cells together, they would show up on the scan, indicating the cancer had metasticized.

And that brings me to today.  It was exactly five years ago today, on Friday, July 27, 2007, that I had that first body scan.  I had Aflac supplementary cancer insurance, so before I left the hospital, I filled out the paperwork to have them send me the written report of the scan so I could submit it to Aflac.  To my surprise, by 3 PM that afternoon, I had a fax from the hospital with the results.

Now, I'm no doctor, but I could tell that this report was not a favorable one.  I immediately called my doctor and waited for her to call back.  Unfortunately, calls after 3 PM weren't returned until the next business day, so there I sat, me and the internet, to try to figure out what this all meant. 

If you know me, I'm the kind of person who hates surprises.  I like to be "in the know" about things at all times.  Let's just say patience is not my best virtue, in fact, I don't hold much of this virture if I were completely honest.  So by Saturday morning, I couldn't stand the suspense any longer, and I devised a plan to get some answers.  We had a radiologist friend from our church who had moved to Oklahoma, so at 9 AM Saturday morning, I gave him a call. After a brief run-down of what I'd been going through, I read him the report, word for word, start to finish.  Then I asked him that poignant question, "So, is this saying that the cancer might have spread to my spine?"

My mind can still replay his answer to me like it was yesterday.

"No Beth, that means it did spread.  I'm sorry, you have bone cancer."

I let the words sink in.  I replayed them over and over again in my mind.  Frank and I talked it over, prayed together, let it soak in as much as possible, and then - well, then we got ready for the day.  You see, our daughter Amber had a volleyball game to play in, and even with bad news, life still moves around you.  I'm not one to wallow with bad news, and I tend to surround myself with people to keep my mind off things.

After my second surgery, my vocal chords were damaged, and I could only produce a raspy whisper. But I went to the game, ready to cheer on my daughter's team, even if I could only do it with loud clapping.  Amber played on an amazingly talented team of girls, but these girls had some pretty special and Godly parents, too.  Among those were Steven and Jennifer Polk.  Steven is the worship pastor at Firewheel Church in Garland, TX, and I remember sitting there, telling Jennifer with my broken voice, the results of the scan I had just had.  Then Jennifer said, "You know, our church is having a 'Night of Worship' this Sunday night.  I know you can't sing right now, but why don't you come and just let the Holy Spirit minister to you?''

When Jennifer invited me, I really believe God confirmed in my heart that I should go.  I knew it was going to be a special night, and if I didn't go, I would miss some sort of blessing that God had for me.  I thanked Jennifer and told her I would try my best to be there.  We had Vacation Bible School kick-off at my church that Sunday night, so Frank agreed to take our kids there, then meet me at Jennifer & Steven's church later.  So I wouldn't be late, I rode with another friend and volleyball mom who attended their church. 

I walked in and immediately saw a good friend of ours, Sam Ingrassia.  Sam works for the missions agency we used to work with (now called E3 Partners), and he is the team leader for all the Colombia trips I've taken.  I looked at him in shock with an immediate "What are you doing here?" comment.  Funny, I had no idea at all he was a member of Firewheel Church or even connected to it!  I then told Sam I probably wasn't going to Colombia with him in October, and I shared the results of the scan. 

It was evident that a lot of prayer had gone into that Night of Worship.  I felt as though I was in the presence of Almighty God, and truly, I believe I was.  The Firewheel church family seemed to know all the music that the worship team sang, and there was one song, almost the "theme song" for the night, that God really used to speak truth to me.  It was Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go."  I had never heard this song before, but the words were powerful, especially given my circumstances.  As much as I wanted to, I couldn't even attempt to sing, because of my vocal chords.  But I know I worshipped God that night nonetheless, just soaking up the words on the screen and listening to that amazing worship team deliver God's message...as if it was just for me.

********

You Never Let Go

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back I know you are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth

(Chorus)

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You.

********

As the Night of Worship came to a close, Pastor Steven told the congregation that if anyone had a prayer need, that they should come forward and there would be people in the front to pray with them.  Sure, I had a prayer need, but I also had a death grip on the chair in front of me.  This wasn't my home church, and although I knew a lot of people there, in my mind, that invitation to go forward to pray was not for me.  OK, being honest, I felt like Steven was talking just to me with a personal invitation, but I still had that death grip on the chair in front of me. 

The next thing I knew, Sam Ingrassia was right next to me, telling me "Come on.  God is telling me to pray over you."  How could I argue with Sam?  Or more so, how could I argue with God?  Together, Frank and I walked up front with Sam and kneeled at the alter.  Sam prayed over me like I've never had someone pray over me in all my life.  He called on God to heal me and spoke with Holy Spirit power that only God can give. I could hear other people praying softly around me.  I felt their touch as I was surrounded by people, some friends, others who just surrounded me to pray.  I have no idea how long Sam prayed, only that I felt the Holy Spirit move in my life like I have never experienced before or since. 

On the way home from the Night of Worship, on the way back to our own church to get our children, Frank and I talked about the night and the outpouring of God Almighty on the evening.  I can't remember my exact words, but they went something like this, "You may think this is crazy, but in my heart of hearts, I believe God healed me tonight.  And if He didn't, I know He is going to heal me, whether through a miracle or modern medicine, but I know He will."  That Night of Worship was Sunday, July 29th, 2007.  Five years ago this weekend.

And today, I claim that miracle as truth and give God the glory. 

The next week, I met with my doctor who talked through the report with the radiologist and then with me.  They sent me for another scan to further identify the region where the cancer had spread.  But this time, the scan showed nothing abnormal.  Did you hear that?  Nothing!  The same radiologist compared the two scans, and decided he must have made an error.  Yes, that's what must have happened.  The cancer hadn't spread to my spine, the radiologist just read the $13,000+ body scan incorrectly.  Yes, now he said that the cancer had actually spread to my lungs.  So they sent me for a CT scan of my lungs.  Once again - nothing!  Finally, they did one more scan a few weeks later, just for good measure, and my doctor announced her bewilderment.  I remember her doctor saying, "I don't know..."  And I interrupted her with something like, "Well, I do know!  I believe God healed me!"  I was then able to share my experience from the Night of Worship.  She looked at me with unbelieving eyes, but she couldn't refute what I was saying.  After all, we have the evidence glowing on film!

And as you read this, like my doctor, you may read with unbelieving eyes.  You may look at this as propaganda - "Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view." (dictionary.com) 

Propaganda?  No.  Personal experience?  Yes.  You see, it's my story.  It's my story of God's healing in my life, and believe in God or not, believe in modern day miracles or not, no one can argue with my personal experience.   

And that brings me back full circle to Part One of this blog.  I've known that the five year anniversary of that Night of Worship was upcoming.  I had been reading in Joshua how the Lord parted the Jordan River and made a way for the Israelites to cross on dry land.  Then what did Joshua do?  He took twelve stones from the Jordan and set up a  memorial.  He did this "so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God."  Those stones that he placed, in essence, were living stones, telling the story of God's power and faithfulness to Israel. 

For me, I've been consumed, even plagued as of late with tying these two thoughts together...Living Stones incorporated into something tangible to give God glory for the miracle of healing me, much like what Joshua did.  I couldn't let the thought die, it was something I had to do.  I was compelled and driven (and I'm sure I've almost driven my husband crazy with it, too!)  We have spent days talking about different possibilities.  We have spent hours at every store we can find trying to find just the right memorial that we can do to honor this concept, to simply honor God without simplifying Him.  We even considered planting a tree, until a friend told us that trees planted in July have a 20% chance of survival.  Considering the reason for the planting, we opted against that idea pretty quickly. 

Finally, I believe we found the solution to my yearning desires - we settled on creating and dedicating a "Living Stones Fountain."  We strategically placed it in our front tree lawn, with stones that were left over from the construction of our home built-up around it.  I liked the idea of combining a fountain and stones, because of the symbolism of Christ being our "Living Water" and the stones come alive only through that Living Water.  You see, without God, without this Living Water, I believe things would be very different for me.

And so on Sunday afternoon at 4 PM, we will dedicate this Living Stone Fountain to God.  If you are in the Dallas metroplex, you are welcome to come join us as we give God thanks for all He's done, as we remember what He did five years ago, Sunday July 29th, 2007.  We will pause to thank Him for His power and faithfulness.  Why?  "so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God." 

 

And isn't that what it's about?  Making sure all the people of the earth know how powerful and mighty the hand of God is?  Sure, what we will dedicate on Sunday is a memorial, a remembrance, for what God has done in my life.  But the truth is that each child of God's should be the same kind of living stone.  As it says in I Peter 2:5  "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house..." 

With Christ as the cornerstone, our lives are being built in Him.  As we allow His love to show through our lives, we become Living Stones.  We are alive.  We can speak of God's faithfulness!  And the message we speak, it's not propaganda!  We can know and have security in His plan, no matter what it is, because He is always faithful.  In a sense, we can predict the future, because we know one thing will never change, and that is our God. 

Will you join me on Sunday at 4 PM?  And if you cannot be here, please take time to thank God for His faithfulness in your life and mine.  Will you join me in committing yourself to be a Living Stone?

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Propaganda or Living Stones? (Part One)

"...and Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 
He said to the Israelites, in the future, when your descendants ask their fathers,
'What do these stones mean?'  Tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 
For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over...
He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God." 

Joshua 4:19-24

If you know me, you know I always have something to say.  So as you can imagine, there's not been too many times in my life that I've been completely speechless.  But believe it or not, that's what took place at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington DC a few years ago. 

I remember walking through the halls of the museum in complete silence, tears randomly flowing down my face at the tragic story that was being told before my eyes.  I'm really not a history buff, and I'll be honest with you -- at most museums, I like to take the "quick tour."  If you're not a museum person, I dare say you know what I'm talking about.  Get the overview, the three main points of the museum, see the featured display, take a picture, visit the gift shop, and move on, all in an hour or less.  Details and me, especially historical details, well, they've never been a perfect match.  But this time was different.  I read each display.  I wanted to read every single word.  As I looked around, I couldn't help but notice the eery silence of others captivated just like I was.  Not to simplify history, but in essence, I stood in awe of how one man could use propaganda to change the course of the entire Jewish race. 

Propaganda.  Dictionary.com defines it as "Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view."  And that's exactly what Hitler did.  He convinced the German people that what they were reading was true.  He convinced them that the Jewish people were sub-humans and should be eliminated.  It was an intentional path to promoting the Nazi regime.  In his own book Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote, "Propaganda tries to force a doctrine on the whole people...Propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea."  After visiting the US Holocaust Museum, I can honestly say I finally comprehended the use of propaganda. 

Now look at the passage of Scripture listed above.  God had just done another amazing miracle.  He had parted the Jordan waters so the people could walk through on dry ground.  He had already done it for them to cross the Red Sea, and now He did it again for them to cross the Jordan.  When they crossed, Joshua took twelve stones from the Jordan, and he then set up a memorial.  Why did he do it?  "...so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God!"  

Much like the purpose of the Holocaust Museum, Joshua set up that pile of stones to bring the people to a point of remembrance.  But this pile of stones wasn't propaganda, no, just the opposite.  The stories told weren't biased or misleading.  The stones weren't set there to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.  On the contrary.  They were there to remember the facts. The cold, hard facts of God's provision and how He changed the course of the entire Jewish race.  In a sense, they were Living Stones.  The story of how God provided a way for the Israelites to cross the Jordan would come alive with the twelve stones that Joshua layed, every time the story was told, and every time someone would pass. 

I can't help but think that God wanted Joshua to do this.  God wants us all to do this.  When God shows His power, when God "shows up and shows off" like He always does, He wants us to talk about it.  He wants us to take time to thank Him, praise Him, and give Him glory.  He wants us to remember.  And that's what took place with Joshua and the Israelites.  I believe that memorial could talk for itsef.  Everyone who passed by had heard the stories of God's provision.  Those twelve stones were alive!

The last few weeks I've been consumed with remembering God's faithfulness in my life.  If you've seen a few of my facebook posts, I've been consumed with this concept of Living Stones.  It's been driving my thoughts.  I'll write more about it tomorrow, but for now, just think about God's faithfulness.  Even when I'm faithless, He never fails me.  Yes, sometimes we have to face tough times, but God proves Himself over and over again.  I can look back at all my God has done, and I can know with certainty there's nothing to fear.  He holds my past; He holds my future. 

Were the twelve stones propaganda?  No, they were a living and breathing testament for all to know from that point forward that the God of the Jews was a powerful and mighty God.  They were there to point people to Him.  So today, as I close "Part One" of this blog, I've been asking God to help me grasp this concept of Living Stones.  I've spent a tremendous amount of time contemplating and praying through this whole concept.  I want to do something tangible so , "all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful."  But more so, I want to be a Living Stone that points to Him, just like it says in I Peter 2:5 "And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple..."

Living Stones (part one)

A pile of rocks.  Placed years ago.
A faithful God.  A miracle.
And they were there.  To not forget.
So all who passed.  Knew what they meant.

They were Living Stones.
Breathing God’s faithful past.
They were Living Stones.
Predicting God’s future acts.
What He did back then, He’ll do for me.
Past performance predicts eternity.
I can look back and know the future.

Just look at the Living Stones.

 

To be continued tomorrow...

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com