Upon This Rock

Day 147 (Written Monday May 7) ~ I collect rocks. Before you judge me crazy, consider that many of you do too, especially you ladies (what are most jewels but polished rocks?). In my desk I have a collection of small rocks that I keep with me to remind me of things I loved. The first rock is actually a piece of coral that I brought with me from the Caribbean Sea on our trip to St. Martin. It was the first time, after many years of dreaming, that I got to see the Caribbean. The second came from the Appalachian Trail on the Tennessee/North Carolina border. It was one of the most amazing and beautiful views I’d ever seen and I wanted something to commemorate it. The next one came from High Rock where I met Her when I was 17. For the last thirteen years I have lived within a mile of that spot. I passed it everyday on my way to and from work. I always want to keep a small part of that place with me because it was the place where my life turned down the path to true happiness. The next rock comes from the courtyard of Jackson Square in front of St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Again, if you’ve read any of my blogs, no explanation needed. The most recent addition to my collection of rocks is one that I took from Chicken Creek. Everyday for ten years I looked at that creek and I wanted to have it with me when I came to Georgia. This brings me to the seven very special rocks I loaded onto the moving truck right before pulling out of the driveway. Today, just before my mom, dad and mother in law left to go back to Tennessee, I asked them to participate with the four of us in a ceremony meant to turn the page on our past life and prepare us for the beginning of our new one. I took seven rocks from Chicken Creek and gave one to each of us. The first three were for my parents and mother in law. They represented the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I had each of them lay their rocks down side by side in our flower garden in the backyard. Because they symbolized the Father, Son and Holy Spirit they served as the foundation for our monument and represented the foundation upon which our home is built. I had our parents put them down because they were the foundation for our lives. Our home is built upon our parents and upon our faith. The next two stones were put down on top of them by She and I. They represented the two of us and the the life we have built together. The final two were given to our sons and were placed by them on top of our two. They represented the two of them and the fact that their lives are built upon us and our faith. I explained to them that one day, whenever they leave our home and begin their own, they will each take their rock and use it for a monument in their own homes. At the conclusion of the ceremony I read passages from Joshua 4 where God commanded the children of Israel to take rocks form the Jordan River and build a monument to serve as a memorial to them of what God had done for them in bringing them to the Promised Land. It would be a conversation piece for their children and children’s children who would ask what it meant. And hopefully it will do the same for mine.