Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.
Joshua 4:9

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READ: Joshua 4:1–9

When significant events happen in our lives, we often mark them with actions or physical objects—tangible reminders of important milestones or spiritual turning points. Baptism, for example, is an action that reflects the spiritual work God has done in our lives. Other markers are more tangible. Pencil lines inside a kitchen doorway mark how much a child has grown since their last birthday. Senior portraits mark a high school graduate’s transition into adulthood. Wedding rings mark the commitment spouses make to each other on their wedding day. And a family’s handprints in the wet cement of their newly poured patio mark the start of new memories they plan to make there.

Moments like these are worth marking. And when 2.4 million Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land, God knew this was just such a moment. Joshua chose twelve men, one from each tribe, to collect twelve large stones from the place in the river where priests had stood with the ark of the covenant. They erected a memorial with those twelve stones, and Joshua instructed them: “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord” (4:6b–7a). These stones were to be a physical reminder of the miracle that took place that day. For the people of Israel, it was an experience they would never forget as “they [the stones] are there to this day,” (4:9b).

A STORY OF THEN & NOW

Marked and Ignited | Aaron E. | Willow South Barrington

I’ve always been spiritual and a man of faith, but I felt like something was missing. Willow South Barrington is on my route to work, and every day when I drove by, I found myself glancing at the church and thinking I should visit. In the fall of 2023, I finally committed to stepping inside—and then began attending consistently.

I knew I needed a community of Christ followers and a regular rhythm of attending church. That’s when I discovered groups and the Rooted experience. I joined a Rooted group, and my desire to know God more deeply grew through it. Since then, my faith has grown every day.

The following year, I was asked to serve as a Rooted facilitator. Many of the participants in my group decided to get baptized, which deeply moved me. It stirred something in my heart, and I realized I needed to take that step, too. On August 18, 2024, I was baptized in Willow’s lake.

That day marked me as one of the most meaningful days of my life—not just because of my Baptism, but because I also got to witness several of my Rooted group members and even some of the students I teach take that same step of faith.

Attending Willow Creek, joining Rooted, being part of a small group (which, selfishly, I think is the best group around!), and getting baptized have marked me and ignited a fire within me to draw closer to God and to live a Christ-centered life. Without a doubt, these have been the best decisions I’ve ever made.

DID YOU KNOW?

Stones used as monuments or symbols of God are found in several other places in Scripture. For example, after a season of spiritual repentance and revival among God’s people, Samuel (the first prophet and last judge of Israel) “took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’” (1 Samuel 7:12).

A PRAYER

God, You are at work in my life in big and small ways. Help me pause and mark those moments tangibly—and then tell the next generation of Your activity on my behalf. Amen.

FOR REFLECTION

Describe some physical objects in your life that are meaningful or symbolic for you. What do they represent?

What spiritual milestone (a time when you saw God working in your life) might you want to mark in a tangible way? What kind of object or action would you choose?