The Bench on the Hill: Remembering God’s Faithfulness in the Everyday
Several years ago, I gave my husband a bench for our anniversary.
It sits at the top of our hill. It is nothing elaborate, nothing ornate. Just a quiet wooden seat overlooking the land God has entrusted to us. We intended it to be our prayer spot. A place to bring the heavy things before the Lord. A place to sit side by side and thank Him for what He has done.
It is our sacred space. Or at least, it was meant to be.
The truth is, we do not go up there as often as we hoped we would. Life fills quickly. The urgent crowds out the eternal. Responsibilities stack themselves high. And sometimes I forget to make the climb.
But each time I do, I remember why that bench is there.
A Place to Remember
That bench is our altar of remembrance. Our little pile of stones. The same kind Joshua instructed the Israelites to gather from the Jordan River after God stopped the waters and led them into the Promised Land.
Joshua said, “When your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them the story of what God did here” (Joshua 4). The memorial stones were not there to decorate the riverbank. They were there to remind future generations of God’s faithfulness and power in a moment that looked impossible.
Because we forget, don’t we?
We forget the manna He provided in the wilderness. We forget the lions He shut in the dark. We forget the Red Seas He split by His command. We forget the tears He saw. The strength He gave when ours was gone. The peace He offered when fear tried to swallow us whole.
Why Remembrance Strengthens Faith
That is why I need that bench. Not just for new prayers, but for remembering old mercies. For naming His goodness until my heart believes it again.
Scripture is full of the call to remember.
David remembered God’s past victories before he stepped onto the field with Goliath. He recalled the lion and the bear, the battles already won by God’s strength (1 Samuel 17).
Jesus, in the upper room, broke bread and said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). He knew how quickly our hearts drift. He knew remembrance is where faith grows roots.
When I sit on that hill, I can feel it:
You were faithful there…
You will be faithful again.
Your Place of Remembrance
Maybe you have a place like that too.
A chair by the window.
A quiet walk at dusk.
A corner of your kitchen where you’ve cried before the Lord.
A journal worn soft from years of prayers.
A place that holds your tears and your gratitude, your surrender and your praise.
Go there again.
Return with remembrance.
Let your heart recall what your hands may have forgotten to hold.
Because the same God who met you there before is the same God who meets you now.
A Memorial Forever
“So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” -Joshua 4:7
May we gather our stones. May we mark our hills. May we remember the God who parts seas, who carries us through the valley, who does not change.
And may returning to those sacred places draw us into deeper trust for what is ahead.
Meet the Author
Amy Bunting
Amy is a sinner saved by grace, learning to live with joy even when life is hard. She’s been married to Bradley for nearly 25 years and is the mother of four — with one still (barely) in the nest.
Her family has walked through deep valleys, including her daughter’s chronic illness. Through it all, Amy has come to know the peace and faithfulness of Jesus in a deeply personal way as she learns to surrender.
She writes to offer the same hope and encouragement she’s received — quiet reminders that we are not alone, and that God is still good.
When she’s not writing, Amy teaches second grade! She hopes her students catch a glimpse of Jesus as she helps them to feel seen and loved.
Connect with her on Instagram here.
