Having been home from my pilgrimage to Israel for a few days now, people have asked, "So how was it?" "How have you been changed?" "What was it like?" "I want to hear all about it."
How do you put into words an indescribable experience?
As I write my final entry about Israel, I want to reflect on what I've learned and how I have been impacted. Here are the top nine lessons I learned on my pilgrimage to Israel.
1. Planning pays off. Literally and figuratively. Because of the hours and hours of research and reading reviews, we were able to find great prices for hotels, transportation, guide, and restaurants. We also found out about places like Petra and Mt. Bental we never would have known if we hadn't taken the time to read, study, and research. I find it is the same in life. You may know what you want in life - a better job, a university degree, lose weight - but unless you make a plan and take steps to fulfill those dreams, they will never become reality. Goals, dreams, hopes for one's life are great, but at some point there needs to be a plan on how to make them come true. It takes a lot of work, time, energy, but in the end the fulfillment of that dream makes it all worthwhile. It took me 15 years to finally make this pilgrimage a reality, but in the end it was all worth it. That being said...
2. Nothing ever goes as planned. No matter how meticulously I planned this trip, something always comes up. A suggestion from the guide to go to Hebron changed our plans for the afternoon. Weather prohibits certain trails on the hike. Our bodies scream "NO MORE!" the second day of the Jesus trail. The internet has the wrong information, people don't answer emails, and reviews on the internet are not always accurate. On pilgrimage and in life one must be flexible. To have a plan for the day and know that plan will not completely work out. I like to think of it as holding life loosely: to have a plan but to know that plan is only a rough draft with the final version to be written by God, circumstances, others, and even myself. When the plan doesn't work out, don't get angry or bitter. Just think of it as a new version, an edited copy, another opportunity to have a different experience. In our experience, what happened each day was much better than what we had planned anyway.
3. Who you travel with makes all the difference. Rose and I have been friends for over 10 years. We have spent hours upon hours together walking and prayer and talking about deep and not-so-deep things. We believed we would be good travel partners and fortunately, we were right. We like to do the same things, we are both morning people, we are both very spiritual people. I like to plan and take charge and she likes to follow along, but speak up when something is important to her. We made the perfect travel team. Who you travel with in life makes all the difference. Some travel partners such as children or parents we do not choose. Other travel partners like spouses and friends, we do. Choose wisely. The pilgrimage of life can hinge on who travels with us. Do they love you, support you, encourage you, believe in you, are a positive influence for you, listen to you? Choose your life traveling companions wisely.
4. A good guide makes the experience much better. Meir More was a true God send for us. He helped us appreciate what we were seeing. He kept us from getting lost. He knew the most efficient way to see the most sites and how to avoid lines. And he was a likable and open minded travel companion. In life also, there are always people that know more than us in a particular area. Humbling ourselves enough to learn from others makes our life experience richer. It may keep us from making mistakes as we learn from theirs. It may help guide us on the pilgrimage of life. Look for wise guides along the way and when you find one, stop and listen and learn what they have to teach you. You journey will be better for it.
5. Community matters. It was not just Rose and I who made this journey. I felt dozens more travel with us as messages and "likes" were left on my facebook page, emails sent, and phone calls made. An entire community experienced this pilgrimage virtually and vicariously. We are never isolated individuals. We are always connected to community. Community can cheer us on, encourage us, teach us and learn from us. Stay connected to your community. Share with them your heart and your journeys. Receive their support and love. It will make your journey that much better.
6. Prayer makes a difference. Every day at breakfast Rose and I prayed for God to go before us, guide us, and be with us. And every night at dinner we reflected on how God went before us and was with us. We felt the prayers of those in our community who were also praying for us: for safety, for a transforming experience, for our well being. Prayer makes a huge difference. We were surrounded by prayer from beginning to end. Why don't we do that for our day to day lives? Surrounding ourselves in prayer, waking up each morning asking for God's presence and guidance will only make our life pilgrimage that much more meaningful. Pray not just on a pilgrimage but everyday and see what a difference it can make.
7. God will show up! It was amazing how God was at work on this pilgrimage. Even to the point when it became humorous. On the second to last day, when we got in the car, it rained the entire time until we got to our next destination. Then it cleared up, gave us plenty of time to see what we wanted and about two minutes before we were ready to leave, the rain would slowly start and we looked at each other and said, "God says it's time to go!" This happened no less than 4 times in one day. It became a joke that God was "just showing off now." But seriously we felt God's presence the entire time in real and palpable ways. God isn't just with us when we are thousands of miles away from home. God always shows up every day to surround us in God's presence. Which brings me to the next lesson I learned...
8. Getting out of my comfort zone makes me pay attention to God. It's not that God was at work more in Israel than in my life here in Charlotte, it's that I was paying more attention. Out of my comfort zone I couldn't rely on my coping skills or the same old routine. Instead I had to rely more on God. Oh to learn this in my day to day life! God is with us and goes before us everyday if we would only pay attention. My hope and prayer is to pay more attention to a God who is already at work in my life, both in Israel and in Charlotte.
9. Pilgrimage changes you, although you may not know to what extent for some time to come. I know I will read scripture differently after this pilgrimage. That places and people mentioned will now come to life as never before. I have a better appreciation for how various religions interact with each other and the complexity of the situation in Israel. I have a larger perspective on God, faith, religion, scripture, and life in general. Yet, I think I won't know the true impact of this pilgrimage for some time to come. Life journeys change us, some for the better and some worse. They help shape who we are today, though at the time we may not know its full effect on our lives. Each experience molds us into the person we are today. Be grateful for your life journeys and travel each one with an openness as it shapes you into the one you will become.
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