A Time To Gather Stones Together.
- Brenda McKenzie
- Jan 25
- 3 min read
A Time for Gathering Stones
Today, as I was praying, my heart found a familiar passage of Scripture — the poetic rhythm of Ecclesiastes chapter 3. You may recognize it instantly. You might even start to hum the melody made famous by the Byrds: “To everything there is a season… a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.”
Maybe it’s my age. Maybe it’s the season of life I’m in. Or perhaps it’s the constant stream of tragedy, division, and uncertainty that seems to greet us daily through headlines and social media. Whatever the reason, when I recently read these words again, I felt something unexpected wash over me — peace.
Ecclesiastes does not shy away from the reality of a broken world. It acknowledges grief and loss, war and mourning, tearing down and rebuilding. It gives us permission to name the ache we feel. And yet, threaded through every line is a deeper truth: none of this is random. Every season unfolds under the sovereign hand of God.
Scripture reminds us that there is a time for everything — not because life is predictable or easy, but because God is purposeful and present in every moment, especially the ones we can't understand.
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the stones we carry through life. Some stones represent burdens — grief, fear, regret, wounds we’ve held onto longer than we should. At one point or another, these stones may have served a purpose: protecting us, reminding us, shaping us. Serving a purpose, and then there comes a season when God will gently invite us to lay the heavy stones down for they are not really meant to be carried for years. I have spent the last few years sifting the sand for these stones and casting them away with God's help.
Ecclesiastes tells us that while there is a time to scatter stones, there is also a time to gather them. We can see an example of this in Genesis 31:46 when Jacob instructed his kinsmen to gather stones together. In Scripture, gathering stones was often an intentional act. Stones were gathered to build memorials (Joshua 4:20), to establish boundaries, to mark reconciliation or covenant (Genesis 31:46). They served as reminders of God’s faithfulness — tangible evidence that He had been there, guiding and sustaining His people.
Gathering stones, then, is not about carrying more weight. It is about purposeful reflection. It is about recognizing what God is restoring, what He is rebuilding, and where He is calling us to stand firm. It can symbolize healing relationships, renewed hope, and the quiet promise that a changing tide is coming — both in our personal lives and in the world around us.
In times when everything feels uncertain, Ecclesiastes anchors us in this truth: God is still sovereign. Seasons shift, empires rise and fall, hearts break and heal — but God remains constant. He holds every moment in His hands, and He is making all things beautiful in His time.
So today, perhaps the invitation is simple. Pause. Reflect. Ask yourself:What stones am I meant to release? And which ones is God asking me to gather?
May we find comfort not in having all the answers, but in trusting the One who orders our days with wisdom, mercy, and unfailing love.
There is an occasion for everything,and a time for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to give birth and a time to die;a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
3 a time to kill and a time to heal;a time to tear down and a time to build;
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh;a time to mourn and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
6 a time to search and a time to count as lost;a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear and a time to sew;a time to be silent and a time to speak;
8 a time to love and a time to hate;a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 CSB
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