To say the past five weeks have been memorable…is an understatement. On January 24th, Dan and I left for Israel with 34 other people. We had never been there before, so our brain was on information overload for 13 days. The sights we witnessed gave me an entirely new look at scripture and I don’t think I will ever be the same person again.
After a very long, at times grueling, trip back home…I had four days to get things caught up from being gone from home and work and attempt to get over jetlag…before I packed again and headed to my daughter’s home. I then spent the next 13 days taking care of our grandsons, ages 1, 3 & 5, so that their parents could go to Israel. While our trip out of the USA was somewhat tiring, trust me when I say that it didn’t hold a candle to my days with three, very healthy energetic boys. I had plans of doing a lot of writing and reading in the evenings after they were in bed…but most days I did well just to get a shower and collapse on the couch!
These past five weeks still have my mind spinning. I have felt God whispering things to me in unexpected moments and I’m still trying to process the details. My hope is to share some of those things with you in the weeks to come. I believe if He is stretching me and growing me to hopefully look more like Him, He expects me to be willing to be open and honest enough to share His pruning of me with others.
I honestly have no idea how many weeks I will write about these past days…I just want to be open to His leading. I may jump from Israel tidbits to the woes of kids in car seats and then back to Israel days. Again, God hasn’t shared all the details with me yet
One thing I will share with you today is that I’ve realized at the end of this five-week period, that God can speak to me whether I’m experiencing the Garden of Gethsemane or changing diapers. I don’t have to go to another country to be molded by Him…He is very able and willing to teach me no matter where I am or what I am doing. The key is whether or not I am listening…because I can be just as deaf to His promptings in Israel as I can right here at home.
If you are feeling like you are in a “dry spell” in your relationship with Jesus, check to make sure that you aren’t just waiting for some major event or trip to take place to hear Him. Begin looking and listening for Him right where you are today, even if your day consists of dirty diapers and runny noses. Who knows…those little precious ones just might hold the key to pruning you to look more like Him!
So so true! I loved walking where Jesus walked and yet while walking through the synagog ruins at Magdala I realized that God's gift of the Holy Spirit to us means we don't have to sqeeze into the crowd to be where Jesus is, He lives in us!
ReplyDeleteBless you with three grandsons. I too have three in one family but I only keep two at a time!
We were on a 8 day tour with Behold Israel and I too will never read the Word with the same perspective again...it truly comes alive especially in anything having to do with the living water or bread. After our tour I stayed another week with my daughter who is living in Tel Aviv right now. I can't wait to go back, truly it is a special place that God provided for His people.