Memorial Ebenezer Young Old Somewhere in Between

In the Old Testament we see numerous references to memorials, frequently telling the people of Israel to make a memorial as a reminder of what God has done for them. In today's world we often call a funeral a Memorial Service. Many think that this is about memorializing the loved one's we have lost. For the family of Kelsey Orndorff, a seventeen year old girl who was killed in an automobile accident or for the family of Shirley Dawson, a dear dear woman of eighty-0ne years, they know what my family knew almost two years ago (when my younger brother Joe at eighteen years old was also killed in an automobile accident). These services were a Memorial as a reminder of what God has done for them. It was a time to remember those we love and grieve over the loss of them most definitely, but without a doubt the one being memorialized is God. Some might say in these difficult times, what has God done for me and my family, he took away my loved one. My family and I, much like I am sure the families of Kelsey and Shirley, still wish we had our loved ones here on this earth with us. I miss my little brother a lot, I miss his laugh, I miss playing video games or watching sports with him. I will never get to do these things with him again. There are many things I wanted to do with him I never got to do. Do these things sometimes make it hard to memorialize God and what he has done in the life, death and now eternal life of Joe or Kelsey or Shirley, absolutely. In 1 Sam we read that Samuel after defeating the Philistines at Mizpeh, made a memorial, setting a stone and calling it Ebenezer, translated to mean "stone of help." God knows it isn't easy, that is why we need the ebenezer, a reminder of his help.
Whether 81 or 17 it is always hard to lose someone you love. Whether like Shirley you knew of her battle with cancer or like with Kelsey and Joe they were taken suddenly home in an auto accident letting them go isn't easy. I have been asked by many people since Joe was taken home to be with his Saviour, "Are things getting back to normal for you?" I typically answer that question the same way, there is a new normal and we are all slowly adjusting to that normal. As we read in
Ecclesiastes 3 1For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace. 9What gain has the worker from his toil? 10I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;
Many of us are in a new season, but God has made everything beautiful in its time and put eternity into man's heart so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. So we can adjust to the new normal, be joyful in that new normal, and do good, continue to grow in Christlike character as long as we live.