Friday, May 27, 2011

Begin Again

Have you ever wanted to try again? Have you decided to finally put the voices to rest that tell you, "no one is interested", "you won't complete the task, so why try?" and other disparaging things? Well...here goes. I WILL Begin AGAIN and with my Helper, Holy Spirit, I will follow as He leads.

In 2005, Abba moved on my heart to create a website with my journal notes and pictures from a visit to Israel and other things of interest. My only website instruction was an online class and my very skilled son, Shane. But the website proved to be overwhelming--so many notes and so many pictures and the HTML put me in knots.

Then in 2008, I created a blog when we moved to California from Missouri. Again, the business of selling our home, moving etc. took precedence and the blog went by the wayside.

It is a NEW day and a NEW season. I've decided to Begin Again!!

Today, while I was kneading my challah dough for Shabbat loaves, my heart went back to the first Shabbat I ever truly experienced. It was a night I shall never forget. When I went to my journal I was surprised to see the date of this entry: May 26, 2000. It's been 11 years.

A group of about 35 of us were touring Israel and Friday night we returned to the hotel in Jerusalem, for a wonderful Shabbat dinner. On each table was a bottle of Shabbat wine and challah loaves for each guest. Candles were lit and a beautiful dinner served.

After dinner, a group of us walked from the hotel down the Hinnon Valley and up through the Jaffa Gate, through the Armenian Quarter and to the Western Wall. Along the way we encountered Shabbat in full swing. Traffic was reduced to Arab taxis. The streets were filled with Hasidics and other orthodox Jews dressed in their black attire and white shirts with high top Shabbat hats and tietzs swinging. Families, groups of men and women, couples pushing strollers and small children in their Shabbat frocks were walking and talking, laughing and singing. It was all so peaceful and familiar and it was 10:00 at night.

The scripture out of Deuteronomy 11 came to life around us. “Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your minds and hearts and in your entire being…And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road…” This commandment was being lived out before us all these many centuries later. Are we as Christians as faithful to teach our children and make it a natural part of their lives?

We greeted each other with “Shabbat Shalom.” And the response was sometimes, “Shalom Shabbot, Shalom.” The spirit of Shalom was ringing through the stone paved streets and narrow alleyways. The only break to this ideal setting were Arab taxis careening through the alleyways, sending pedestrians scrambling for the walls, and boisterous Arab teens on bicycles issuing high whistled warnings before cutting through the crowds.

The air was full of spices and song. Melodic Israeli songs of praise to Adonai echoed behind stone walled synagogues. The tempo was light and joyous.

It all seemed surreal. Was this a movie set? No, we were present in this place of eternal history. God’s all sufficient grace brought each one of us to experience this moment together.

Because it was Shabbat none of us carried our cameras, purses, or even a pen, so as not to offend the Sabbath laws of no burden bearing. We witnessed a rabbi caution group of tourists with cameras near the Western Wall.

We arrived at the Western Wall coincidentally at the time for the Muslims evening call to prayer. They have several minarets in the city and at night they are illuminated with lime green neon. Loud speakers transmit the prayers so that everyone can hear them. We waited until they were through to descend the stairs to the Western Wall. It was interesting to view the panorama of this site. The history of Jerusalem was before us: the Western Wall—the holiest place on earth for the Jews because the only remaining piece of their second Temple; the hill behind the Temple Mount called the “Hill of Evil Counsel,” where surprisingly U.N. meetings take place and Palestinian authorities have their offices; and finally, the assortment of minarets with their garish call to Muslim observance.

We went down the steps and through a guard post where we went through a metal detector for security purposes. Men and women separated and walked to the Wall. There was a little stand at the entrance of the women’s section where prayer shawls were available for head coverings. I took one and walked tearfully to the Wall. All I could do is weep. To finally be here—after so many years of joining my heart with the people of Israel for their true redemption was almost more than I could handle. To see their dedication to prayer, to witness their love for the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to know the cry of their hearts for peace and to know the only lasting peace in their future is Messiah—tears, tears, and more tears.

I joined the other women at the Wall and pressed my hand against the limestone blocks worn smooth as pearl by centuries of praying hands and falling tears. Each crevasse was stuffed with bits of paper, cards and tissues—prayers for the nations recorded in the mortar of the Wall. I cried for Israel, I cried for America and for a world that does not know God’s heart for this land. God extend Your mercy. God awaken Your Body. Call forth intercession, call forth support. Lord bring Your peace to Jerusalem. Lift the veil that they might know You Yeshua as their living Messiah and Deliverer.

I will never forget this night as long as I live. It is forever written and engraved in my heart. Lord let me not be silent until Jerusalem be established as the praise of the earth.

_____ Eleven years later and my feelings and heart for Shabbat and for Israel have only intensified. God have mercy on us. Yeshua, awaken Your Body!!!

More about Israel and more about hearing God's heart in days to come. Hope you enjoyed this first entry. -- Shabbat Shalom