To read about the beginning of our Experience THE BOOK Tour to Israel CLICK HERE. Or simply start with today’s post and catch up later!
Israel Is a Gift
I’m not much of a gift giver, and THINGS don’t generally mean a whole lot to me. However, Roy and I were recently given a gift from our older daughter and SIL (son-in-love) that meant a lot.
When we moved from Vancouver, WA to Boone, NC, we left most of our furniture and moved into a furnished log cabin—including sheets, towels, kitchen appliances, dishes, and even silverware. Since we weren’t sure what would be waiting in NC, we moved a lot of our stuff from WA, and our girls got to take whatever they wanted after I made the decision between the WA/NC item we planned to keep.
Our older daughter decided she wanted our WA silverware—which happened to be our wedding silverware. Did I mention that THINGS don’t mean a whole lot to me? That’s code for: I’m not sentimental.
We sold the cabin last summer, and the buyers wanted the furnishings, so we found ourselves without silverware (and many other things). Do you have any idea how expensive silverware is??????
I planned to watch Amazon for sales or pick up odd pieces at thrift stores in town, but when our daughter and SIL came for their visit this month—they brought a brand new set that matched our wedding set. Overwhelmed at both their generosity and thoughtfulness, my heart nearly exploded! You can bet these spoons, etc. will be in my kitchen forever!
What does my silverware have to do with Israel? Visiting the Beautiful Land itself is a gift, and the mementos we purchase (or pick up off the ground—rocks, twigs, etc.) will preserve some precious memories. But it’s the PEOPLE that make THINGS worth remembering.
Even when some sites that seem…difficult…the impact will echo into eternity with some of the sweetest memories of your life.
Jerusalem’s Sabbath Day
On Saturday, March 14th, our sixth full day in Israel, we’ll honor our Jewish friends’ Shabbat and focus on visiting Christian and public sites that hold both spiritual and historical significance.
After a yummy breakfast at the Gloria Hotel, we’ll walk straight to the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem (also called the Golden Gate) through which Ezekiel 44:1-2 tells us Christ will enter upon His return!
Just outside the gate is a Jewish cemetery—one of the most fascinating places I remember from our trip twenty years ago. This may sound rather mundane, but believe me, you’ll never forget the lessons learned at the Eastern Gate or the stone boxes that “block” its entrance.
The Horrific Truth
Our next stop will be Yad Vashem—Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. On our tour in 2000, our Jewish guide refused to accompany us into the memorial. I don’t know how Hedva, this year’s guide, will respond, but we must be mindful of the scars our Jewish brothers and sisters live with every day.
Greeted by a mound of shoes, we begin a sobering journey back in time that forces us to remember the atrocities committed against God’s chosen people.
The Unfathomable Reality
From the horrors of Yad Vashem, we’ll travel to Golgotha/Calvary, the traditional site of Jesus’ death, and we’ll see the empty Garden Tomb.
Contemplate the irony. Nearly a hundred years ago, Gentiles murdered six million innocent Jews. Nearly two thousand years ago, Jews killed the perfect Son of God. No one is innocent. Only God’s grace could save a world so full of lost people. Only His boundless love provided a way for us to be whole and healthy in His eyes.
The reality of the Garden Tomb—actually entering the rock-hewn cave where Jesus was thought to have been placed and lingering in the garden to pray—will touch a place in your soul like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.
True Gifts From Israel
On our previous tour in 2000, I looked up from a powerful moment in prayer and saw—a gift shop. Ugh. My spiritual moment was shattered by a bitter thought.
Why must they commercialize my Savior?
Folks from our group poured into the shop to buy mementos, while I sat on a rock wall, fuming. I thought of all the sacred places we’d visited that commercialism had “tainted.” But my holier-than-thou attitude smashed into reality with the realization that I wouldn’t even BE in Israel were it not for that so-called commercialism.
Tourism, and the dollars we spend to experience more of God’s Promised Land “keeps Israel green” as our 2000 tour guide, Meir, often said. So rather than begrudge the commercialism, I learned to make strategic purchases that reminded me of this amazing place I’d someday call my eternal home!
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Revelation 21:2
Authentic Experience
After our sobering day, we’ll need to debrief a bit. Talk about what we’ve learned. How we feel. Share our experiences over a fantastic meal at the YMCA Tower Restaurant in the heart of Jerusalem.
Nothing about this trip will be canned, ordinary, or routine. Bev, our tour director, has worked hard to make every hotel (or kibbutz), every restaurant, and every site we see unique and something not EVERY group gets to experience.
Join Our Group!
If you’re feeling drawn to these amazing experiences, please join us for “Experience THE BOOK Tour” on March 6-17 (or 19 with Petra extension) in 2020! The relationships and spiritual experiences we share on this trip will change our hearts, deepen our faith, and enrich our lives in so many ways.
To see the full itinerary and more details, go to: http://bit.ly/theBOOKtour. Have specific questions? Please contact tour director, Bev Henry. Phone: 714-512-8167 Email: bhenry@luxetm.com.
To read Part 8 of our “Experience THE BOOK Tour” posts, CLICK HERE.
Tweet-Ables
- Even the emotionally wrenching sites in Israel (the Garden Tomb, the Holocaust Museum) will linger with some of the sweetest memories when we return home.
- It’s the PEOPLE that make THINGS worth remembering!
- Want more information about a once-in-a-lifetime journey to locations described in my books? I promise, your Bible will come alive when you’ve walked the Land God chose for His people!
