My Paisley Chair

“Geographically challenged” is the gracious way I describe myself. I get lost easily and often. I do try to pay attention, but even then, there’s no guarantee I’ll make it home without a detour.

Just last week, I got completely turned around while running an errand to a familiar place. I had asked for directions, repeated them back, and pictured them in my mind. So imagine my surprise when I realized I was almost in downtown Dallas—which will never happen on purpose.

Trying to get back on track, I somehow ended up in a sketchy neighborhood, at a dead end, under a bridge closed for construction, with no signs pointing the way out. Totally overwhelmed, I finally gave in and opened Google Maps… better late than never.

If my route had been tracked, it would’ve looked like a pile of tangled spaghetti. By the time I arrived, I felt lost, scared, and silly for missing obvious signs along the way.

But here’s the truth – I can be just as unaware in life as I am when I am running errands.

I miss clues and I am oblivious to the signs.

And that got me thinking… I need to pay closer attention to the markers, memorials, and milestones in the adventure of my life.

Markers: The Spot

Markers are simple. They’re like the little yellow flag a referee tosses onto the football field – nothing fancy, just fabric with a rock tied inside. It indicates “This spot matters.” Then it’s picked up and put back in a pocket for the next spot.

In the Old Testament, there were many markers. In Numbers 33:2, Moses recorded each starting place along the journey – simply because God told him to.

Most of those places don’t mean much to us now. Some can’t even be found on a map. But they mattered then.

Because God was there.

Not every place is an oasis. Not every stop is significant. Some are just… plain ol’ spots in-between other spots.

The cycle goes like this: Wilderness. Watering hole. Wilderness again. And then back to water.

Those indistinct, forgettable places still matter. They are marked for a reason – not because of what happened there, but because God was present there.

Most places aren’t meant to be permanent. They’re just starting points.

Every place of departure matters.

Still… they matter.

We never know when we’ll find ourselves smack in the middle of the manifest presence of God.

“X” marks the starting place – the place of departure – a new beginning.

While at the spot, encounter His presence and make a memory.

Memorials: A Place to Remember

Memorials are different. They’re not small or temporary—they’re intended to be permanent, to last a lifetime and beyond.

They mark moments we don’t want to forget.

Often, memorials are tied to something significant—birth, sacrifice, covenant, or breakthrough. They give us a place to return to, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

Because memories fade, memorials help us remember.

A place.
A moment.
A promise.

Throughout Scripture, memorials were built to mark covenants and encounters with God—reminders for future generations of His faithfulness.

They say: “God met us here.”

When at a memorial—whether in person, in story, or even through a song or a scent—something stirs again.

Faith arises.
Hope renews.
Love awakens.

Jesus Himself established a memorial at the Passover table:

“This is My body… this is My blood… do this in remembrance of Me.”
(1 Cor. 11:24–25)

Communion is more than a ritualistic memorial. It’s a return.

The past comes into the present, and it shapes the future.

We remember what matters most – and we memorialize what we cherish.

Milestones: Progress Points

Markers show where we’ve been.
Memorials help us remember.
But milestones show us we’ve changed.

Milestones are moments of movement – evidence that something shifted.

A decision.
An encounter.
A redirection.

Moments with Jesus alter the course of our lives. One encounter with the Master changes everything.

There are places I can point to and say, “That’s where things changed.”

Moments that set my direction and events that anchored my future.

These milestones deserve to be remembered, treasured, and celebrated.

If we forget them, we lose sight of where we’re going.

But when we remember, we move forward with confidence.

Even if the path isn’t straight – or it looks like spaghetti – when God is there, all is well.

God’s plan is good and includes a future and hope (Jer. 29:11).

Looking back …

I realize now that …

All the places that didn’t seem important…
All the moments I overlooked…
All the times I thought I was unproductive or lost…

God was there.

In the unnoticed provision.
In the quiet protection.
In the connections I almost missed.

Every thread matters – even the ones I didn’t see at the time.

God is all about the details. Since knows the number of hairs on our head and sees every sparrow that falls (Luke 12:7; Matt. 10:30), He surely knows where I am!

Nothing is wasted.
Nothing is unseen.
There is a record of it all.

At the End of the Day …

There are other books being written – not just of beginnings, but of endings and everything in between.

The Book of Remembrance.
The Book of Life.

These are the record books that matter most.

And of all the places my story might be written, I want my name in these books.

Prayer:

Spirit of the Living God, please help me pay attention!

Teach me to recognize the markers – the small, in-between places where You are quietly present.
Remind me to return to the memorials – the moments where You have proven Yourself faithful.
Give me eyes to see the milestones – the ways You are shaping my life and leading me forward.

When I feel lost, remind me… You are always with me.

When I prefer a “cloud by day and a fire by night” help me see You in the little miracles that surround me all the time. May my life be marked by Your presence. -Amen.

Questions I ask myself:

• Where do I need to slow down and pay closer attention to God’s working in my life?
• Can I identify the markers, memorials, and milestones in my life?
• Would that list help me see the pattern and plan God has laid out for my spiritual adventure?
• Are there memorials I need to revisit or milestones I should celebrate?
• How can I stay aware of God’s presence in my everyday, in-between places?

Until next time …

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