Lessons for the Holy Land – Part 1 – The Journey

Lessons from The Holy Land – Part 1 – The Journey

No words can sufficiently describe the feelings as we board the plane for an amazing adventure to Israel. My desire is to chronicle this adventure in a way that will bring honor and glory to God. My goal is to pull all that I have believed since I was eight and a half years old into better focus. For me, this is a pilgrimage that I never dreamed to ever make in my lifetime so I will soak in every second to the best of my ability.

Gratitude fills my heart for the church family of Northside Baptist in Corsicana that loved us enough to send us on this amazing trip for our 10th anniversary of service to them. We have experienced their love, support, and generosity over and over and I am still in awe of how well they show us their love every single time. Even as we taxi out for our first leg of our flight, I can’t believe this is really happening. Praise God! My heart is pounding with anticipation.

Already, in preparation for this trip, I have found myself drawing Christ closer to the depths of my soul and straining more passionately to respond to His voice. I long to come into the reality of my Savior with eyes wide open and ready to receive it. I am well aware that even standing on the very place where Jesus stood cannot draw me any closer than I already am to Him. So, I bring His presence with me to the Holy Land. I do not meet Him there; and for that I am so very thankful.

However, I think the reality of Jesus as a man who walked this earth is a difficult concept to fully grasp. Knowing God in human form, skin and bones, exploring His humanness and truly realizing His reality will be life changing.

I want to look at the stars from where He stood. I want to feel the breeze blow across the Sea of Galilee just as He felt and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. I want to stir the waters of the Jordan and gaze across the hills and valleys. I want to walk where Jesus walked.

Jesus – Son of God. The Word made Flesh. I know it, I believe it, but my desire is to earnestly grab hold of all that I have believed for so many years and pull it into the depths of my soul. In my heart, I want to embrace the real Jesus in the flesh. To wrap my arms around the reality of my Savior – and to be changed.