On a recent trip to israel, I found myself reluctant to even be there.  Afraid of what God would say to me, show me or even ask me to do.  Feeling like Jonah in my reluctance, I even found myself standing where he may have stood in the ancient port of Jaffa.

Israel felt unusual.  Safe.  It actually FELT like God’s land.

One afternoon, we were sailing on the Sea of Galilee when a “once-in-80-year storm” came upon us, just like one did to frighten Jesus’ disciples on those very waters.

Later, at the Western Wall, I wrote down three prayers and attempted to deposit them into the wall.  After mishap after mishap in my attempts to wwedgethe pieces of paper into the crevices of that holy wall without dislodging someone else’s prayer, I heard from God:

“Leave it.”

But, what impressed me most about my trip was the realness of this land – God’s chosen land – and these people – God’s chosen people.  And the fact that unlike so many other stories of far away lands that we may fill our minds with, God’s story is REAL.  In that place.  Where I stood.  The evidence is there.  We only have to open our eyes to its history.  To His story.  And hear the nudge to share that story.