“…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. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:7, NIV).

It’s been a while, but this weekend I remembered. I shared it with my son and his two kids. We were young then with two small children, missionaries in Nigeria, headed home for a medical evaluation. As we signed in at the Lagos departure gate, dreading the next 18 hours on planes, a Nigerian boy stepped out from the shadows and offered, “I can get first class tickets for your family.” I asked how much and handed him the $10 he suggested. Knowing the scam but liking the young man, I watched him melt away into the crowd. When we reached the line to board our plane, we discovered that our tickets had been changed to first class seats. We were amazed and incredibly grateful, thanking God for His recent angel. The only complaint came from our 6-year-old daughter who thought the caviar was nasty.

God does stuff like that, sending angels as He winks at us and says, “I am here.”

These are times we must remember.

As I look back over such God-winks through the years, I realize how often He has sent them just as I needed them. Such simple gestures of heavenly love exist beside miracles of true deliverance to remind me: the evidence of God’s goodness in my life far outweighs the world’s evidence to the contrary.

We need to remember both the God-winks and the times of deliverance. Ours is a world of coronavirus, and young mothers carrying infants to escape Russian bombs, and persons we love struck by cancer. Sometimes we need a wink from God to continue our journey with joy; sometimes it takes a miracle to carry us across a river that has no bridge. Both God-winks and times of deliverance are telling us that God loves us, is watching over us and has a plan for our lives more important than the struggle we face.

We must remember these stories, and write them down, and share them with our children, and share them with our friends. We must not let humility keep us silent. Each of us needs the encouragement and strength we find in the wink or the deliverance God has provided for us and for our fellow travelers on the way. We need to listen. We need to share.

Dear God,
Thank you for your special reminders that you are with me. Help me to remember and help me to share them with others who need to hear.
Amen