The first questions my friends have asked since I returned home were typical
ones - How was the trip and did it meet your expectations? My answer of course
was that it was an amazing journey on many levels, but I really didn't go with any
specific expections.
A trip to The Holy Land has never been “on my bucket list”, but when I heard Melissa Maher was leading the trip, it caught my eye. After several years of attending her ladies Bible study, knowing how she always tied her “rabbit trails” to the scriptures we were studying and brought out creative and thoughtful perspectives from the Bible, I gave the trip more serious consideration. I knew she would be the catalyst for an amazing journey - and she was! This was the trip of a lifetime on many levels!
There were so many places that were deeply and intensely spiritual, largely through the peace and serenity they provided. To walk on the paths that Jesus walked, to sail on the Sea of Galilee where He had been, and to stand in the prison where He was held hours before His death and feel the torment He must have been feeling, were all very powerful and emotional places for me. And of course I have to mention the cable car discussion! We were talking about the different ways we hear God speaking to us, sometimes very softly, sometimes very clearly. I mentioned that I remind God how hard headed I can be and he needs to hit me over the head with a 2x4 sometimes! No sooner than it came out of my mouth, our cable car banged against the side of the platform with a very loud clang! God does hear us and He does have a great sense of humor!
But a couple of things really surprised me. There were places that were so crowded you could hardly move and long lines we had to wait in to see the “traditional” sites. What kept going through my head was the fact that ALL of these people (Jew, Muslim, & Christian) were here for one reason - to worship the one true God, sincerely and intensely, and it was a beautiful. The other thing that finally dawned on me was that even with all the chaos and commercialization in many places, God was always there IF we listened for Him. It was a reminder to me that here at home with all the “stuff” and “to do’s” that we have in our daily lives, God is still with us and always there for us. It has given me a better plan to deal with the traffic and the lines and the crowds. If God can be in the middle of the masses in Jerusalem, I know He is always with me in the chaos and the calm here in Houston, and that gives me a stronger sense of serenity and connection!
A trip to The Holy Land has never been “on my bucket list”, but when I heard Melissa Maher was leading the trip, it caught my eye. After several years of attending her ladies Bible study, knowing how she always tied her “rabbit trails” to the scriptures we were studying and brought out creative and thoughtful perspectives from the Bible, I gave the trip more serious consideration. I knew she would be the catalyst for an amazing journey - and she was! This was the trip of a lifetime on many levels!
There were so many places that were deeply and intensely spiritual, largely through the peace and serenity they provided. To walk on the paths that Jesus walked, to sail on the Sea of Galilee where He had been, and to stand in the prison where He was held hours before His death and feel the torment He must have been feeling, were all very powerful and emotional places for me. And of course I have to mention the cable car discussion! We were talking about the different ways we hear God speaking to us, sometimes very softly, sometimes very clearly. I mentioned that I remind God how hard headed I can be and he needs to hit me over the head with a 2x4 sometimes! No sooner than it came out of my mouth, our cable car banged against the side of the platform with a very loud clang! God does hear us and He does have a great sense of humor!
But a couple of things really surprised me. There were places that were so crowded you could hardly move and long lines we had to wait in to see the “traditional” sites. What kept going through my head was the fact that ALL of these people (Jew, Muslim, & Christian) were here for one reason - to worship the one true God, sincerely and intensely, and it was a beautiful. The other thing that finally dawned on me was that even with all the chaos and commercialization in many places, God was always there IF we listened for Him. It was a reminder to me that here at home with all the “stuff” and “to do’s” that we have in our daily lives, God is still with us and always there for us. It has given me a better plan to deal with the traffic and the lines and the crowds. If God can be in the middle of the masses in Jerusalem, I know He is always with me in the chaos and the calm here in Houston, and that gives me a stronger sense of serenity and connection!
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