Scratching the Surface

The second full day of travel and experiences in Israel were emotional, amazing and stretching. We began the day with a tour through an historical Biblical garden on the grounds of our hotel. The outstanding display of the garden was a scale size replica of the Tabernacle. Once inside the hotel we heard the owner/proprietor share his experiences with terror inside the very hotel we were staying at and down the street from his hotel at the gas station on the corner. It was especially emotional as he showed us the medals he was awarded when he put his life in danger to successfully subdue one of the suicide bombers .

We then proceeded deeper into the West Bank, in a secure bus to Shiloh...a place spoke of in the days of at the Tabernacle. The site we visited is believed to be the place where God dwelt among His people in the holy of holies. It was also there where Samuel heard the voice of God as a young boy. I walked and considered what it must have been like to literally see the hills surrounding this site full of men, women and children who gathered to worship and to hear from God through the ministry of the priests.

One scripture came to mind as I sat and considered all those things yesterday morning:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you - the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forever.

Psalm 121

Later in the afternoon, as a group, we were led in a responsive reading of the above scripture. That moment was very special for me...confirmation that this was one of the messages God had for my heart that day of travel.

The picture above was symbolic of another thing I felt near the end of the day. We were in the midst of traveling to the next site when our guide pointed out this specific scene. He said this is known as "Scraping the Surface"...an archaeological dig in process. I, too, feel like all I have seen and experienced is a mere 'scraping of the surface' of so much more. I am so very thankful to be a part of this trip to indeed dig deeper!

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow...

What an amazing 48 hours it has been. The journey to Israel was perfect in most every way. Monday afternoon a 777 departed Newark NJ with approximately 40 or so Daily Audio Bible listeners, all eagerly anticipating a memorable journey to the Land of the Bible.

 

 

The inflight service and services were legendary. And the exposure to different languages and customs on board the long 10 hour trip added variety to an otherwise very long trip. My only hiccup of the trip thus far was a seat that did not reline. I woke after a fitful night pretty sore, but thankful to be on the trip.

 

 

We hit the ground running, with a tour of Caesarea. Wonderful lunch at Port Cafe' featured freshly prepared food with unique and new tastes. The highlight of our time there was a brief teaching in the Roman theater, built on the shore of the Mediterraneon sea (built by King Herold). Acts 12:20-24 was read and heard by us all with larger perspective and appreciation for the fact that we were, in fact, walking on site of a significant place in the story of the Bible.

 

 

The picture above was the view outside our hotel room this evening before our lavish buffet dinner. I am tired, not really knowing what day it is (or at least my body is confused) and my mind is ready for a rest. The fellowship among the group is rich, and we all look forward with great anticipation to the adventure tomorrow will hold...

It all began with a Bible...

This Bible is very special to me.  It was a gift my big brother, Clay, who brought it to me after his trip home from Congo, Africa, where he had served a two year term with PAX MCC in the late 1960's.  He was able to spend a brief amount of time in Israel, so besides a very 'cool' elephant hair bracelet he brought from Congo, he also purchased this Bible from Bethlehem for his little sister. (I was 8 or 9 years old at that time)

This Bible was truly one of the most beautiful things I owned!  Not only were the mother-of-pearl engravings on the cover exquisite, but the color photographs of the land of Israel and Egypt were windows into the land of the Bible, itself.  My imagination would soar as I carefully turned the pages and gazed at another world that I longed to see some far away day in my future.

The Bible was carefully stored in my 'treasure box'.  Sometimes I would pull it out of my drawer and look at it, open the cover, and look at the photos.  I also loved looking up familiar verses in it, especially the story of the first Christmas.  The King James version it contained was the version I had memorized many verses as a child, so there was the joy of opening familiar words within the beautiful covers of this particular Bible.

Years later, I handed my Bible to a florist to design a bridal bouquet that would be placed upon the special Bible for our wedding day!

In the years since, I have lovingly placed this Bible near our family Advent wreath each Christmas, sometimes even reading the Christmas story from it before our gifts are given to each other. 

Now, this weekend marks my final preparations for the trip my heart has longed to take, a trip to Israel for 10 days.  The beautiful connection that makes this more than a fulfillment of the dreams of an 8 year old is the fact that this trip is all about the Bible.  This Bible will not be on the trip with me.  My Bible will now be carried on a Kindle.  However, this trip will be a pilgrimage with others who have a love for the Bible.  I will be with a group from the Daily Audio Bible ministry.  This group will be made up of others, who like myself, have come to embrace daily interaction with God's Word through the vehicle of a podcast read by Brian Hardin. 

So, the thrill of the trip to Israel begins with the love of His Word, and in my case, a very special Bible from my childhood.  I don't know what to expect specifically, but in whole, I am praying for a time that will provide a richer context of location, terrain, and history for me, in my study of and reading of the  Bible.  I anticipate hearing teaching 'on site', walking the land, and seeing the sights that Jesus may have seen when He walked here among men.  "The Journey is the Destination"!