In His Own Tent

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ne Saturday, a few friends and I spent the day exploring the quaint little community of Granbury, Texas, just forty-five minutes southwest of Fort Worth.  Since coming to Fort Worth in 1997, I had been meaning to make the trip to this little town.  Everyone had recommended it to me as a “must see” but I had simply never found the time to go.  On that Saturday, however, I took the time and I am so glad I did.

Granbury is a neat little place with shops, restaurants, shops, bookstores, and more shops. Are you beginning to get the picture? The whole town is laid out in a perfect square with the courthouse as its centerpiece.  Most of the shops are small businesses that sell everything from home-made fudge to books to knickknacks.  There were several bookstores and, true to Texas, at least two coffee shops, selling gourmet and flavored coffees that would make your mouth water.

Some people had come from several miles away, arriving by chartered bus, to shop in the stores and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere the community offered.  Everywhere, people were purchasing all types of gadgets, books, coffees, household items, and souvenirs.  Every store, no matter its specialty, seemed to have a section dedicated to items promoting the town.  There were tee-shirts, key chains, mugs, glasses, bumper stickers, license tags, hats, etc, anything to remind them of their visit to Granbury.

This fascination with souvenirs intrigues me.  In my own home, I have several items that I acquired from my visits to other countries and places in the world.  Occasionally, I glance over to one of them and a flood of memories rushes back; and time stops just for a moment as I find myself in Paris, Rome, Munich, or Sydney, Australia.  The point is, we buy souvenirs to remind us of places we’ve been, people we’ve met, conversations we’ve had, and events we want to cherish.  The word “souvenir” itself means “to remember” and from the looks of some of this Saturday’s shoppers, Granbury will be a permanent memory for them.

But this notion of souvenirs goes back to Old Testament times and plays a part in the life of one of my favorite characters, David.  Who hasn’t fallen in love with the story of David and Goliath?  From childhood, this story is told and retold and each time it just gets better and better.  Little boys love to think of themselves as David and each time they take a slingshot in hand, they relive the story and once again, Goliath of Gath meets his doom.

This story, however, was very real and one that David remembered all his life.  1 Samuel 17 records the story of David’s fight with the giant and gives us a very important insight into a good spiritual practice.  In 1 Samuel 17:54 we read, “David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.” Did you pay attention to this passage?  David collected a souvenir, namely Goliath’s weapons.  He placed them in his own tent as a decoration and as a reminder of that momentous day when God stood beside a young boy and felled a giant!

I am sure David spent many hours looking at Goliath’s sword, spear, and shield.  Countless hours of reminiscing must have been part of his life.  Whenever he felt discouraged, whenever he felt defeated, whenever he wondered if God was still his help, those souvenirs comforted and reassured him.  David had something to remember God by, something concrete to remind him of God’s faithfulness in the face of overwhelming odds and great trial.

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o you have a souvenir collection the workings of God in your life?  Is there a particular moment, a particular event, or a particular place that reminds you of God’s steadfast love for you?  Whenever you are faced with life’s difficult challenges, when you feel as if you are all alone, and when you wonder if God hears you, can you return to a moment and remember that God was with you?  I’m sure you can and I encourage you to continue gathering souvenirs of the times God talks with you, walks with you, and proves himself to you over and over again.  Place them in the tent of your heart as ever-lasting testimonies to God’s faithfulness to you.  There is nothing like a good stroll down memory lane, especially when you walk with God!