Like MANY of the holiest places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and the Holy Land in general, the places they denote as THE exact place probably is not; it’s more than likely in the vicinity, but that’s STILL AMAZING!! If it’s feet, or yards, separating you from the holiest acts/events of our faith . . . That’s nonetheless mind-blowing!
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is Golgotha— The Place of the Skull— where Jesus died on Calvary for our sins!! They have an altar where you can crawl under— like my Mom is doing in the picture— and you can touch the place where THE cross was!!
That thought alone is a beautiful mixture of traveling in a time machine and using our imagination to picture the agony, torture and suffering on our behalf— He paid a debt He didn’t owe and one we could NEVER pay! He was the PERFECT Sacrifice! There is a rock there underneath, which is the rock that is believed to have been cracked when Jesus breathed His final breath. There is THE tomb and another tomb, which could’ve just as easily been where Jesus was buried before resurrecting on the third day and if those two weren’t enough . . . There is a slab of stone, which is believed to have been the very place they cleaned His body and prepared it for burial. You’ll see my hand touching it, see me crying (how could you not) and see me happy in that spot in these pictures.
The art work— the sculptures, the mosaics, the paintings— are all absolutely exquisite! Beyond exquisite!! Fit for, well, a KING! I know these pictures don’t do it justice, but it’s my sincere HOPE to take you along for the ride, allow you to be a part of the journey, with me! I’m deeply humbled and grateful to have experienced this more than you could know.
Before I hit send, why do you think I was crying? Because I FULLY-grasp how UNWORTHY I am! I fully-understand how much I’ve spat in His Face, ran from Him, treated His sacrifice like an insignificant act, been sinful, been prideful and just generally missed the mark! I understand without the pardoning of Jesus; I would be in hell and that’s honestly where I deserved to be before Him!
God has rebuilt my life. Over the past 10 years, God RESTORED it from rock bottom and I’m unbelievably GRATEFUL for that! I am PROUD to say I LOVE Yeshua/Jesus!! I’m proud of myself for having the self-reflection and courage to go under the knife and allow Him to perform spiritual-surgery on me. Although, I realize it’s only through His Strength that I’m able to move and have my being, much less improve, I’m still pleased I’m learning to obey Him more, fail Him less and begin to return the Love to Him that He so graciously covers me in whether I’m running toward Him or sprinting away!
So, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, I tried to be fully-present in the moment . . . I pried myself away from the long lines, rude people and pushy guides to just BE. I allowed myself to tear up, be true to my emotions and to return a fraction of the devotion and appreciation He extends to me on a daily basis! I’m glad I was able to do that. When I worship . . . I am just saying Jesus I love You! When I worship . . . I am simply saying THANK YOU— for Your unconditional Love, relentless GRACE, unfailing MERCY and every single blessing, whether big or small, He bombards my life with! But more then ANYTHING; I’m simply saying thank YOU for YOU!!
I’ve said it many times, but don’t spend your time appreciating, and clinging, to the MUD puddles when a beyond beautiful Life-giving Ocean— one of which we gave unlimited access to— awaits and longs for our fellowship, time, love and devotion! I’ve cried a few times on this Pilgrimage, but honestly not as much as I thought I would, but as the journey ends . . . I just have the OVERWHELMING sense of GRATITUDE!
Gratitude to be able to see the Lord— to GAZE upon Him with Love! Gratitude to see the places He walked, talked, taught, learned and performed miracles. Gratitude to see the giants of our faith where they lived and their acts of faithfulness. Gratitude to be able to experience this with my Mom— My sweet Little Rock. To be able to hug her, kiss her, hold her hand, talk with her, listen to her, laugh with her and just enjoy each other in this special place! This is a once in a lifetime experience, whether I return or not, and I’ve tried to soak it ALL in! Gratitude to experience this with my Aunt and Uncle— to walk and talk with them, see them smile and hear them laugh, during long bus rides and at the sites. Gratitude to Mark, who arranged our group from Mt. Pleasant to go on this Holy Pilgrimage. Gratitude for an awesome group of all different ages from 14 to 75– How God has allowed us to seamlessly get along and enjoy fellowship in this truly Holy Land. Gratitude for our awesome guide Tamar, who is one of the most determined people I’ve ever seen, has extensive knowledge of her homeland Jerusalem and who welcomed us with open arms and gratitude for Mospeh, who was a skilled, daring driver, who was more like a magician. And finally gratitude for being able to share it with all of y’all— whether you come or not, my only desire was to give you a glimpse of this beauty, a glimpse of all the history, a glimpse into your own pool of self-reflection. That’s truly been an honor. Jesus has ALWAYS been REAL to me, but He became even more real to me over the past week . . . It’s my hope, in tagging along, or if I experienced this with you walking side-by-side, that He did to you as well!
Of all the trips, and over 18 countries I’ve visited . . . This is truly the MOST special! He lives! His Great Love remains and He will return! What a GLORIOUS DAY that will be!! +Hope Abounds+ JMB
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