The Most Powerful Place in Israel for Me

Mike and I overlooking the area next to Hezekiah’s tunnel inside the City of David

In Israel, everything seems so special and you can feel the country as you move through it. Israel isn’t stationary; it is a living, breathing, child of God. You can feel heartbeat of the country wherever you go. As we toured the places where many significant events that many of us have grown up learning about, no matter what religion. These events have happened, they are real life historical stories that until you see them in person you feel like your eyes have been shut the whole time. Israel opened my eyes and allowed me to actually step into the time of Jesus in a way like I have never been before.

This was in Shilo where Hannah went to pray desperately for a child and told God that if he gave her one she would give Him back to do God’s work. Hannah obeyed what she promised and God gave her a child which she then returned to the temple for him to be a servant for the Lord.

Disclaimer: You do not need to be able to get to the holy land to have a close connection with God. You do not have to be able to make it over there. I think it would be amazing for everyone to go but going to Israel is not what makes you a christian who loves God and is not what deepens your faith alone. If you want a close relationship with Christ then you can have that. It is a simple discussion between you & our heavenly father while continuing to meet with Him daily.

The concrete underneath this covering next to my dad is believed to be the holiest of holies when it comes to a place. Below this would have been the temple and where the presence of God would have been. It is wonderful getting to see things like this however, it is not where God is. God is everywhere due to Christ being crucified for us.

Now, this was also my first time out of the country as well and I was jumping for joy when we booked this trip. Leaving the country was something that I had ruled out as a possibility for my life when I became super sick. I figured that it was out of the picture for me especially third world countries but marrying Michael changed everything. His medical experience and knowledge of my health allowed me to be rid of the chains that kept me home. I have been wanting to get to the western wall to lay my pain and illnesses at the Feet of Jesus for years. It has been about 5 years of knowing God was calling me to take a trip to israel and I really was unsure of how I was going to do it.

That is when my dad began leading groups over to Israel. With the help of my family and friends and obviously my incredibly husband I was able to tour the holy land. I could barely believe it and as we got closer to the end of the trip I remember thinking that I am doing something i have never done before. I am experiencing new cultures and countries and I am so thankful for this.

This is a picture of the western wall which is powerful within itself. Being here you can feel the presence of the one true king and you can hear people sobbing, praying, and wailing. This is where people come to get as close to God as they can. I thought this was where I needed to be However, when I was at the garden of gethsemane I realized that that was where I was called to sob, heal, and commune with God.

When we went to the Garden of Gethsemane that was when my heart exploded. It exploded with love, hurt, pain, and undeniable strength. We were at the site, sitting with the trees, that were related to the one that Christ would have prayed up against. You see the thing about olive trees is that they are all connected and related to each other. Where Jesus broke down to his father praying for another way on one of those olive trees; I broke down praying to my heavenly father over how I wanted to live my life for him on one of the same trees. The bible tells us He prayed so hard that sweat, blood and tears come out of his pores. This verse has a huge real meaning to us all about the significance of deep and hard prayers. Prayers that come from real pain and deep sadness. These are the prayers of extreme conflict, prayers where everyone wants to do what they are feeling called to do because it is what they are called to do but they are scared. God will never leave us though.

This is me praying up against an olive tree that is related and connected to the one Christ would have prayed next to. This was my moment. This was my most powerful place.

The Garden of Gethsemane is where I felt the most understood in my entire life. When I was able to have some time to be on my own and pray I felt so connected to God. This was a place that Jesus cried while praying to our heavenly father, pleading for a different way to save us all. This was a painful way to reunite us however, he was willing to do so. If it was truly, our father’s one and only way, Jesus was ready to answer that request. I felt heard. When I had to decide on whether or not I was going to have my surgery; I remember not understanding. I remember asking God if there was any other way. I also wanted to know why he wanted me around still. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to share the good news of Christ being as sick as I was but His plan is always more beautiful than we can ever imagine.

This is the church of Gethsemane. It is gorgeous and absolutely stunning and this entire place is beyond spiritual.