Here I raise mine Ebenezer

If you are familiar with the church hymn "Come Thou Fount," you might recognize the line, "Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I'm come." The term Ebenezer comes from I Samuel 7:12: "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far has the LORD helped us.'"

Ebenezer literally means "stone of help." Samuel set up his Ebenezer to commemorate the victory that the Lord had given Israel over the Philistines. It was a tangible way to remind himself of what the Lord had done for him and his people, an altar thanking God for remembering and blessing his people.

In my Bible study homework this week, Priscilla Shirer suggested a similar exercise. The assignment was to think back to four major life events and reflect on the ways God was faithful. To set up mental Ebenezers, if you will.

As I reflect on the last 3 1/2 years that I have lived in New York, there are an infinite number of victories that the Lord provided, miracles he worked, doors he opened, blessings he showered. Over the next few weeks, I will be reflecting on these, erecting these New York Ebenezers in my mind. Because I can think of no better way to prepare to move forward than to attribute every step that got me here to my gracious, sovereign heavenly father.

It's not my story.

(It never has been.)

But it is God's story, and in his abounding love, he penned a chapter entitled, "Jamie Goes to NYC." For that, I will be eternally grateful.