Inquisitive Adventures

The last stop on our trip was Pretty Place Chapel in South Carolina.

When we got married ten years ago, we talked about finding ways to continue celebrating milestones throughout our marriage. I think, as Christians, we sometimes forget that following Christ also means being a people of celebration. Throughout Scripture, God’s people are called to remember His faithfulness, rejoice in His goodness, and tell the stories of what He has done.

Psalm 126:3 says:

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

To celebrate our tenth anniversary, we planned a small vow renewal at sunrise. We wanted to set an Ebenezer, worship God, and reflect on all He has done in our lives over the past decade.

The word Ebenezer comes from 1 Samuel 7:12:

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’”

Ebenezer means stone of help. Samuel placed a physical reminder so that God’s people would remember God’s faithfulness and provision. We can set Ebenezers in our own lives through places, traditions, photographs, songs, journal entries, or any moment that helps us pause and remember, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

For us, our Ebenezer was standing together on a mountaintop, repeating two of our favorite Scripture passages to one another, worship music playing softly in the background, and watching as God painted the sky with the colors of sunrise.

The evening before our vow renewal, we visited the chapel to see it for the first time. As I stepped toward the overlook, I felt my breath catch. Mountain ridges stretched into the distance, fading into blue beneath the bright sky.

The next morning, as we drove before sunrise. For a while, we wondered if we had somehow gotten the timing wrong. It was still so dark outside, and if I’m being honest, we have a history of occasionally misjudging timing. We also knew there was a chance that smoke or haze in the mountains might obscure the view.

Instead, God blessed us with clear skies.

As we walked into the chapel, we were met with dark blue contrasting with orange. The sun rose, and shades of pink, orange, and gold spilled across the horizon. The colors reflected across the layers of blue mountains, and I think our families were just as awestruck as we were.

As we sat together, one of the songs we played was So Will I (100 Billion X) by Hillsong UNITED. As the sun rose over the mountains, one lyric stood out to me:

“Every painted sky a canvas of Your grace…”

Looking out across the layers of blue mountains and the colors spreading across the horizon, those words felt especially fitting. The sunrise seemed to point beyond itself to the God who created it.

Later in the song, another line caught my attention:

“If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I.”

Surrounded by creation, worship music, family, and reminders of God’s faithfulness over the past ten years, I felt myself overcome by a sacred wonder of God,of His goodness, His creativity, and the beauty of the world He made. I was reminded that all of creation reflects His glory and invites us to respond in worship.

In that moment, I was reminded that Ebenezers are not only about looking back. They also help us move forward. We remember where God has met us in the past so that we can trust Him with whatever lies ahead.

 When we drove away from Pretty Place Chapel, I realized that Ebenezers are not meant to be rare events. They are invitations to regularly pause and remember God’s faithfulness. Too often, I rush from one season to the next without taking time to celebrate what God has done along the way.

After this trip, we intend to be more intentional about setting reminders of God’s faithfulness—not only during major milestones, but in the ordinary moments as well. Because sometimes faith looks like simply pausing long enough to remember and say:

“Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Happy anniversary, love. Here’s to many more adventures.