The Garden of Gethsemane...Christ sweat blood in agony on that hill over going to the cross from my sins...and yours. He was betrayed there. The Via Dolorosa...He was beaten, spit upon and taunted as he carried the beam he would hang from. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre...He was crucified near that site and very possibly buried in the tomb that lies within that church.
These are sacred places for the Christian. They are significant places, but more importantly significant events for all mankind.
Maybe I am easily distracted, but the challenge for me was seeing beyond the masses of people, vying for a good place to take a picture, multiple languages being spoken, group leaders holding up a variety of odd objects so their groups could find them, and then there were the vendors with armloads of postcards, rosaries stamped with Jerusalem, scarves, gold-plated crucifixes and so on. I had hoped as I visited each site, I wouldn't miss the preciousness of each location in what the Lord had done for me. But a sense of "holy awe" wasn't there.
It came later...
I lay in my bunk reading Ephesians 2:11-13 and beyond...
"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) —remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."
And then the Lord began reminding me of some of the "holy awe" places and moments of my life...
...receiving a hug of forgiveness from my young son, who bounced up off his bed when I confessed I had wrongfully disciplined him and his quick statement of "I forgive you"
...Krivig Rig, Ukraine when the little girl in front of us was confirmed in our hearts to be the daughter we had been praying for
...hearing my husband's muffled voice through the closed doors of his office encouraging men in their walk with the Lord and in being faithful husbands and loving fathers
...Rediger Chapel at Taylor University several weeks ago at a young friend's memorial service as the students passionately sang "How Great the Father's Love for Us" as a gift of love to the family
...watching my son contend with the coming and going pain of arthritis in his young body with a spirit of acceptance and grace
...rich conversations with a family member about God "stuff"
...realizing my daughter's International Studies major, love for other cultures and passion for the Middle East are answers to this mother's prayer for my children to know Christ as Savior and want to take that message to the world
...every lecture at Bible Study Fellowship as the Lord teaches me in the preparation and then gives me words to speak to women eager to learn...I know I am held by His faithful hands
...in my kitchen watching thunderstorms roll in from the west, or the fall of dancing snowflakes, or the change of winter to spring as a new color of green appears each day for a whole month, or the turn of fall leaves and the gentle breezes that bring them to the ground
...observing the work of a small church in Pitesti, Romania and their love for the people in Rezboini, a people group often not trusted, respected or loved by others in their city
...being in my bed at night this past January with an idea that wouldn't go away, for a calendar to highlight the work of Shevet and seeing the Lord bring it all to pass with the talents and passions of a variety of people
These are some of the places of "holy awe" in my life.
I realize the Lord is not limited to a time and place in the past, but continues to show Himself personally, powerfully and holy to His people all around the world.
Still I am grateful to be visiting these sacred sites in Jerusalem. But a site is not worthy of worship. God is. He acted in those places, but He is not limited to them, and I am grateful.
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