Memorial Box Monday

Over and over again God told the Isrealites to take stones and build a memorial to remember what He had done. They were to tell the stories to their children and their children’s children. Why did He do that? Because He knew just how forgetful people are, and He wants us to remember that He is always loving, always protective, always providing, always caring, always and forever faithful.

This Memorial Box Monday goes back to the very first Memorial Box Monday post I ever wrote in October 0f 2008. The reason I am sharing this one again is that sometimes I think people think that they couldn’t possibly have any big examples of what God has done….and some just can’t seem to remember anything, even little. But here is a “little” story {although to me it was HUGE, because of how much I loved my sweet feathery friend}….

But seriously, look what God did – it is nothing short of a MIRACLE
{Out of the archives…October 2008}

The Ezra Story

A couple of months ago I posted about the roosters we had when we pastored in Virginia. Well we have a really cool Memorial Box story about our old family pet rooster Ezra, and I will start with the Ezra story as my first Memorial Box Monday story.

Many years ago for Christmas, our Abigail had given me two of the sweetest roosters. She totally surprised me cause she knew that I had always dreamed of having acreage and roosters and having never owned one before I was giddy with delight. She’d gotten daddy to drive her to a farm and bought them herself. She kept them hidden until Christmas morning.

Those two fellas became my joy. I named them after Old Testaments prophets because I said, “Every morning they proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” So these boys were named Ezra and Nehemiah.
Before too long, the neighbor’s dog killed Nehemiah, but Ezra remained with us. Eventually my Multiple Sclerosis was so bad that we put our home up for sale. Our plan was to sell our existing home, move to a rental and then build a handicap accessible home so it would be easier for me to manuveur with my cane. Even my wheelchair, Charlie, would be able to get around with ease.

But this presented a potential concern. If we went to a rental, what in the world were we going to do with Ezra? A friend had offered his home as our rental once our home sold, yet his rental was on a super busy road and the house was right up near the road. There was no way that Ezra would survive in that rental house.

I loved little Ezra bunches! No doubt, though, Ezra was time-challenged….he would start his cock-a-doodle-doing thing about 2:30am…I used to joke that he probably had ancestors in England and he was still on their time zone…..But each night he would wake Dw and I up I would sleepily smile and say, “Isn’t that the most beautiful sound?” And my loving husband would sleepily mutter between his teeth, “I hate that thing.”

We had a huge wrap-around front porch and Ezra loved to come and sit on the porch with us. It was as if he was saying, “the family hangs out on the porch, I’m family, so I ought to be here too.” He wasn’t mean ever, just a sweet, sweet feathery guy. Yet I also reasoned that it would be traumatic to move Ezra and try to get him to understand the whole moving thing and dangerous road thing.

So I started to pray. After all, if the Lord tells us to cast every single care we have on Him….then even Ezra would fit the “every, single care” criteria. I began to regularly ask the Lord, specifically, if He would make a way for Ezra to just remain with the house. I even asked the Lord to allow whomever the people were that would come to buy our home to fall in love with our Ezra so much so that they would want him to stay.

I am aware that not everyone has such a fascination with my feathery rooster friends. BUT God does care. He loves me enough to even care about my little feathery friend, Ezra. So months passed while we waited for the house to sell and we had a kajillion showings too….BUT one day my cell phone rang while I was checking out in Wal-Mart. I will never forget where I was standing when Almighty God cared enough to show up about my Ezra. The phone call went like this:

Our realtor: Linny, this is Diana, we have an offer!!!

Me: Really? Oh Yippee Jesus!!! Is it a good offer??!

Diana: Yeah, but it’s really weird, Linn. The buyer’s agent said he had to ask me something before he presented the offer. That out of town buyer wants to know if you would be willing to leave the rooster. The rooster came up to them on the front porch and they just fell in love him and they don’t even want to talk about the offer until they know that you are willing to leave your rooster. Linn, that is the weirdest request I have EVER had…In all my years of real estate I have never had anyone want a rooster…..

Me (through shrieks of joy): Oh YIPPEEE YIPPPEEE JESUS! Diana, God’s answered my prayers – I’ve been asking the Lord to allow the buyer to love and want Ezra and He did it – Diana – He did it! (and then I went on to tell her the whole story since only Dw and the kids knew what my prayer had been)!

Oh yes, dear friends, there is a sweet little rooster sitting in our Memorial Box. It is a constant reminder that God even cares about the “little things” in our lives and He totally is the God of what would seem impossible (or even silly to some)!! I mean, seriously, what are the “odds” that someone would come to buy our home and want Ezra first off? Only the God of the universe could stir a couple’s heart whom we had never met before to love my little Ezra from the get-go and have such a direct and special request upfront, before they even presented the offer!!!! What an amazing God we serve!

Which brings me to the question: If God cares so much about providing a home for a little feathery friend of mine – how much more does He care and provide for the super, huge, gigantic, enormous, seemingly impossible things in your life? Exactly my point!! He is the Miracle-working, Mountain-moving, Awe-inspiring, Gasp-giving God!!

So what about you? Do you have a Memorial Box Monday story? Please link up and let others read about the Faithfulness of Almighty God….Please feel free to use the badge on the right sidebar {it would tickle us to pieces}…the code is below the badge on the sidebar…

12 thoughts on “Memorial Box Monday

  1. That's so awesome Linny. 🙂 I think, big or small, it is SO important to remember God's acts of faithfulness. Doesn't matter if it's a rooster or a car, or a house. They are ALL demonstrations of His love for us and He doesn't want us to forget any of them!! <3

  2. I think this is the 3rd time I've heard this sotry….and it always blesses and encourages me!!

    Thanks for being an encouragement to me today!

    ♥ you guys!

  3. I love that! God truly does answer everything. I actually am working on my first memorial box post. I'm hoping to have it up by next monday!
    And just curious, did you ever hear from the family how Ezra was doing?

  4. Perfect post for today and just what I needed to be reminded of.
    Struggling with a lot of things right now most little… some bigger .. and this reminded me of where I need to take them all.
    Thank you for this reminder and remember me in your prayers…
    Angie H.
    angieaccoun@aol.com

  5. I love the Ezra story! He is faithful in all things, right down to the beloved rooster.

    Thanks for your sweet comments on my MBM post. Oh how I wish I could get a glimpse of your Bible. (I can't blame Abi for wanting it.) I'm so glad that it survived the fire.

    And thanks for building a community of readers. Many blogs are a one-sided conversation, but you've created relationships that make it seem like we're all gathered around your kitchen table.

    God Bless,
    Kathie

  6. Wow, I don't remember this story! What an amazing testimony!
    I have to tell you – my two oldest kids just got baptized last week, and as a gift, I got both of them their very own Memorial Box.
    Can't wait to see what THEY put in it!
    Love, Barb

  7. With our other computer having a "virus" I just finally was able to sneak time 🙂 on my husbands work computer to read Memorial Box Monday posts. I needed to read this reminder of God being so very present today…thank you!

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