A few days later, another group of standing stones caught my eye at what is the Scottish version of a rest stop—essentially, a very small place on the side of the road where one can pull over to let faster cars pass by or to stop for a photo. At this place, past visitors have created hundreds of small standing stone piles. I dubbed it the Standing Stones of A87, after the highway they were near. Their origin and original purpose is likewise unknown, but I'm sure each individual who had created a stone pile had his or her own reasons for doing so. Clearly, that site is also a place of memory.

The biblical story likewise comes from a place where rocks are omnipresent. An Ebenezer is a memorial stone or pile of stones established in remembrance of what God has done for a person or community of people in that place, and Eben-Ezer is a battle place where Samuel raised a stone. Literally, it’s a Hebrew word meaning “stone of help.” Even today, visitors to Israel see piles of stones that are clearly intended to mark a spot where something significant should be remembered.

How do you remember the places and times that God has helped you? What memorial markers have you created that trigger a memory, a story, an awareness of God's presence? An Ebenezer doesn't need to be made of rock; you could, for example, write the word 'Ebenezer' on a take-out menu of a restaurant where you had a significant encounter with God, then frame and hang it on a wall in your home or office. Then, when people see your Ebenezer and ask you about it, you can tell 

the story. Most importantly, you will have an opportunity to remember God's activity and help in your own life.