One Step is All it Takes

We’ve been in Tel Aviv, Israel for just under six hours but already it feels much longer than that. We arrived at our first hotel of the stay and were given about 45 minutes to settle in, refresh and renew before we met for our first meal together in this sacred land. After such a long travel period it felt surreal to be seated at an actual table rather than to be handed a tray on a cramped flight.

Unsure of what was about to happen we all waited tired, hungry and weary. Before we knew plate after plate of family style dishes were placed on our table. Different types of salads, pastas, meats, breads and rice. It literally kept coming in droves, just as we settled in with one dish already we had another dish being put before us. Truly, it felt like a feast and whew, did we eat! Laughter and wonder was all around us as we ate, talked about how surreal it all was and laughed as familiar pop music songs from home filled our ears.

As the meal came to a close several of us decided to take a walk to the Mediterranean Sea—you know because the beach is right across from our hotel!! We walked, took in the sights and laughed together. As we ventured one by one barefoot onto the beach we began to search for unique seashells in the dark and test how cold the water was with our toes. I know, at least for me, that’s when this trip to the Holy Land became real. What I mean is that as we drove through town from the airport to the hotel, things looked different, sure. And certainly there are signs in different languages, but something still felt distant within me and I worried what that meant.

Perhaps it was the exhaustion that created my dissonance—yet the moment I set foot in that water it was like a jolt from God—You’re really here, this is really happening! What joy we found in celebrating this new land together by discussing baptism on the shore of the Mediterranean tonight and well, just plain having fun. Mere hours ago I felt exhausted and ready for bed; now that I’ve had my first taste of the wonder of this land, I’ll be lucky if I’ll sleep at all! Until next time…

P.S. You'll notice the format of this blog post is different. ..all part of the pilgrimage I guess, especially considering the blog site itself is in HEBREW! Glad I memorized the icons! Whew!.

Blessings and Peace,

Caitlin