Travel : Israel
I don’t want to leave this moment
I don’t want to miss one thing
Is there anything you want to tell me
I hang on every word you say
I’m longing for a fresh encounter
A wonder that I can’t explain
Is there anything you want to show me
Your presence is my favorite place
You’re not going anywhere
I’m not going anywhere
— “Favorite Place” by Kari Jobe
That was the song that was playing on shuffle as I was landing in Israel. It was the very first moment when this trip began to feel real. Like…this was really happening. I could see the lights over the city of Tel Aviv, and I suddenly got really nervous. I felt like one of those Gilmore Girls references when Rory goes to a new school and she and Lorelai are like: “Are you ready?” “No.” … “Are you ready?” “Yes.”
But I definitely felt like God was speaking to me through this song. Like I’m longing for this fresh encounter of seeing the Bible come to life in Israel, and I don’t want to leave or miss anything. I’m wondering what God wants to show me while I’m here. But even though there is so much unknown, God isn’t going anywhere. And I’m not going anywhere, either.
God revealed Himself to me in so many ways on this trip, both big and small, beginning with this very moment as I was landing. There are so many things I could talk about, but I want to narrow it down. For travel stories, some people want to hear about the big lessons learned, some people want to hear about the little things, and some people want to hear both. So I’m here to offer both. Feel free to read as much or as little of this as you’d like. Here’s the three biggest lessons I learned and three little ways God reminded me of His presence in Israel.
LIFE LESSONS
Sometimes you just have to take the risk and do it.
Like Nike … sometimes you gotta just do it. But I’m not talking about just anything, I’m talking about God-given opportunities.
Sometimes an opportunity is thrown at us in life. Some of these opportunities are dreams come true, and others may have not even crossed our minds. But let me tell you: both kinds of opportunities are scary.
But I can also tell you from firsthand experience: If you’re scared, you’re probably doing something right. It just means you care. It shouldn’t be something you run away from. Sometimes it’s the devil trying to keep you from the awesome things he knows God has in store for you.
So just trust your gut. That “gut feeling” might actually be the Holy Spirit. And when it’s all said and done, wouldn’t you rather look back and be like: “Yeah, that may not have worked out, but at least I tried.” Rather than: “What would’ve that been like if I had just tried? Would things be different now?”
But let me also tell you … If it’s from God, it will work out. Leading up to the trip, I was so nervous and anxious. But it also didn’t make sense to me because this had been a dream of mine for years. As much as part of me didn’t want to face it, I knew I had to do it. I knew it was something God wanted me to do, and I didn't want to disobey.
Saying it couldn’t have worked out better is an understatement. God was present in every moment, and my life is forever changed because I took that leap of faith. So be encouraged! Yours can be, too.
Romans 8:28 — “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT).
Isaiah 41:10 — “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (NLT).
2. Faith is not based on the things we can see.
Most sites in Israel are built based on knowing the general area of where something happened, not the exact spot. One of the only sites we saw that is proven to have happened in the exact spot is the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born. That was a huge spiritual experience in itself, and I definitely think God put that together for a reason. But not every site was like that.
The Garden Tomb, the site where Jesus rose from the dead, is only a depiction of what the tomb would have looked like. The site of where people think it actually happened is in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is in a completely different location.
But I loved what our tour guide at the Garden Tomb said about people’s predictions. She said it doesn’t matter if we know where the exact spot is or not. The fact that we know He is risen is all that matters. Amen!
I had another tour guide at the Shepherd’s Field say that swaddling clothes were made for sacrifices during the time of Jesus. The fact that He was wrapped in swaddling clothes when He was born shows that He is the ultimate sacrifice. It’s important to focus on the little connections like that rather than the exact location of things.
I’m saying all of this because I learned that we don’t need physical proof of God’s existence to verify the Christian Faith. Yes, physical proof is definitely out there in the world. And I’m so thankful to have gone on this trip (and anyone should totally go as well if they ever have the opportunity), but physical proof is ultimately not a necessity for Christians to have.
The same tour guide from the Shepherd’s Field said that a trip to Israel (or any physical proof as well) doesn’t make anyone have faith, it only enhances the faith that one might already have. So don’t let the lack of physical proof in life be a let down. The Holy Spirit is invisible for a reason.
God doesn’t want to force faith on us, He wants to give us the choice. As awesome as physical proof of God’s existence is, too much of it would prohibit a choice. The whole meaning of faith is the lack of evidence. As long as you have that faith, you have everything you need.
Matthew 17:20 — “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth. If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible” (NLT).
2 Corinthians 4:18 — “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (NIV).
3. Remember that we are still sinners, and not every moment in the Christian Faith is going to feel like sunshine and rainbows.
Yes, my trip to Israel was amazing and life changing, and that is an understatement. But it doesn’t make me a perfect Christian. There were moments, even on this trip, where I thought something was wrong with me because seeing a certain site didn’t emotionally impact me in the moment as much as I thought it would.
But I later learned that just because I wasn’t emotionally impacted like I expected, doesn’t mean it didn’t spiritually impact me, either. Now that I can visualize a lot of places in the Bible for what it actually is, it has completely changed the way I view the Bible forever.
But again, none of that makes me a perfect Christian. Even after seeing a lot of these sites for myself, I still have so much more to learn about God and my faith.
I say all of this because no one should ever pressure themselves into being a perfect Christian. Striving to be perfect as Christians gives others a false picture of what Christianity truly is. We need God because we are imperfect.
Christianity isn’t only about what God can do for you, how he can make you feel, or how he can make you a “good person.” It’s also about how you can use your life to glorify Him. It’s not self seeking, and it’s not about how emotional you can get in a personal, spiritual moment. It’s about admitting that you are a sinner and recognizing that you need God to get through anything. And if that constantly makes you outwardly emotional, great! If not, that’s great, too. Everyone processes these things differently, and that’s ok. Either way, I promise it’s all still very spiritually impactful in the long run, and that’s all that matters.
Romans 5:8 — “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NIV).
Psalm 115:1 — “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (NIV).
LITTLE THINGS
1. Sometimes coincidences aren’t just coincidences.
When we were at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the craziest thing happened. We were sitting on the steps near the entrance to rest, and some people sat behind us. The person sitting next to me introduced himself, so I did too. The conversation eventually got to the point where they said they go to the same school as one of my closest friends.
“Wait, this might be a long shot,” I said, “But do you by any chance know one of my closest friends?”
Turns out they did. They go to the same church as her. We all thought it was crazy how they randomly sat next to us in Israel and ended up knowing my friend. In Israel out of all places, what are the odds!
I say this because I believe God designed us and this world to have everything happen for a reason. So I also believe there is a purpose for everything. Even if the purpose for coincidences like that is to simply share the moment, it’s still impactful!
I like to think of coincidences as God’s little way of showing us He’s working in other people’s lives in the same way all throughout the world. It’s his little way of showing us that we are never alone.
So the next time you run into a coincidence, try appreciating it as a reason to keep going. You are never alone. These little things matter so much.
2. The power of journaling prayers.
If I’m being honest, before this trip, I had never journaled a prayer before. But as part of my class for study abroad, we had to keep track of daily journals.
As I picked up my pen to write something after the first day, I was at a loss for words. I didn’t even know where to start besides just “Wow, God.” I felt like anything I could write wouldn’t be able to depict what I was feeling during my time in Israel.
That’s when I decided to turn my journal entries into prayers. I thought it would make things easier to turn my thoughts into words on paper by looking at it like I was talking to God. And it did.
But what happened next shocked me. These prayers that I was writing started becoming answered. And not just some of them, but all of them. Every day. All answered. It was unbelievable. Some of them I didn’t even realize were answered prayers until I read back through my journal after I got home!
I remember reading back through it all with my jaw dropped to the floor. Something I first saw as just an assignment for a grade turned into a spiritual habit that I want to keep for the rest of my life. I feel like it was God’s little way of telling me that this is something he wants me to make a daily habit.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying that journaling your prayers magically gets them answered right away. There is nothing anyone can do to force answered prayers. Journaled prayers are still only answered in God’s perfect timing, but I’ve found it helps a lot in growing in your personal relationship with Him. Answered prayers or not, the written word is still a more personal and intimate way to communicate with God, and anyone for that matter.
Looking back at it now, I’ve wondered why I didn’t journal my prayers sooner. God gave me this passion for writing for a reason, and I definitely feel like God wants me to use it for that, too.
But don’t feel like you have to start journaling your prayers. There are different spiritual disciplines that work for different people, and that’s totally ok. But if the thought of starting something new like this has been in the back of your mind for a while, do it! It might be God trying to tell you something.
3.God still hears our thoughts, even the tiny ones in the back of our minds. Sometimes He likes to make that known to us.
I would be lying if I said that girls don’t think about what their wedding dresses and rings will look like someday. As silly as it is, we all do it sometimes. For me specifically, my future wedding ring crossed my mind when I came across some beautiful jewelry at a Christian store in Palestine.
There was a certain ring that caught my attention. It was so beautiful I could hardly stop looking at it. A sales man came up to me and asked if I wanted to try it on. I politely declined because it was too expensive. He then said I could try it on for fun.
I didn’t care in the moment if I had just fallen for a sales tactic, because as soon as I put it on my finger I knew it was what I wanted for that future moment. It was a gold band with a princess cut diamond in the middle.
I then, suddenly and unexpectedly, started thinking that this is a good symbol of what I want my future marriage relationship to look like. Simple. Authentic. Not complicated or flashy. And with God at the center of it.
Yes, I realize how cheesy that might sound. Even I thought it was cheesy when it first came to mind. But hear me out.
I totally believe that God can reveal Himself to us through thoughts. I believe those thoughts are the Holy Spirit giving us a little nudge. Even though marriage is nowhere near coming soon for me, this moment was still another “Wow, God” moment. It was like he was reminding me, “Hey, I hear you, I know what you want, I got you both now and in the future, and I am still working in your life.”
So what I thought was going to be just a silly little girly moment turned into a huge lesson of symbolism for me. Isn’t it so funny and great how God works in the littlest ways like that?
So watch for the little moments like these. You never know what God may be trying to tell you!
If you made it all the way to the end, I appreciate you. This is probably the longest blog post I will ever write lol. If you have any questions about anything, any prayer requests, or anything else, my messages are always open. I would love to hear from you <3
For more pictures and information about each location, visit my “travel gallery” page or view my photography instagram account @salt.light.nashville