On Sundays, this space is reserved for God stories. As one of the redeemed, I'd like to share just some of the many things he's done in my life. I hope you'll be encouraged by them!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story - those he redeemed from the hand of the foe. Psalm 107:1-2
Last week I was in Jerusalem for the Easter and Passover holidays.
I've always considered myself to be a faithful person, but then I visited Church of the Sepulchre, which is believed to be the burial place of Jesus.
People come to pray and worship, and it was packed with Easter pilgrims.
I watched the women as they prayed. I watched their bodies as they bent and reached and kissed the Stone of Unction, which is the stone Jesus' body was placed upon after he was taken down from the cross.
This is where the "American me" kicked in. As they were kissing and rubbing it, I thought about germs.
I'm not kidding.
But, I still wanted to touch it, so I squeezed in that open space next to the lady in blue.
I thought it was crazy to come all that way and not touch it, so I laid my hands on it and prayed that Jesus would heal my body and my husband's.
And the lady in blue, really got in my personal bubble space. She was moving back and forth, gently bumping me. She was "washing" the stone... with holy water or something. She had a bag full of folded notes and clothing and she would rub and pray. I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I looked.
Gosh - I think I look irritated in the picture, but I wasn't - I was just curious. Ok, I kind of was irritated that she was hogging the holiness out of the stone and not taking turns. I looked in her bag and realized...she had clothing in there.
She was rubbing underwear on it.
Many things run through my head about this, but the bottom line is that this woman was faithful.
She came to the stone with work to do, and nothing was going to stop her from praying over her notes and clothing.
I came and left empty handed and wondering about my level of faith. The Lord told me not to compare, because to him there's no such thing as levels. What matters to him is the heart and the belief that lies within it.
I'm curious. How do you come before God in prayer?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb 11:1
Last week I was in Jerusalem for the Easter and Passover holidays.
I've always considered myself to be a faithful person, but then I visited Church of the Sepulchre, which is believed to be the burial place of Jesus.
People come to pray and worship, and it was packed with Easter pilgrims.
I watched the women as they prayed. I watched their bodies as they bent and reached and kissed the Stone of Unction, which is the stone Jesus' body was placed upon after he was taken down from the cross.
This is where the "American me" kicked in. As they were kissing and rubbing it, I thought about germs.
I'm not kidding.
But, I still wanted to touch it, so I squeezed in that open space next to the lady in blue.
I thought it was crazy to come all that way and not touch it, so I laid my hands on it and prayed that Jesus would heal my body and my husband's.
And the lady in blue, really got in my personal bubble space. She was moving back and forth, gently bumping me. She was "washing" the stone... with holy water or something. She had a bag full of folded notes and clothing and she would rub and pray. I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I looked.
Gosh - I think I look irritated in the picture, but I wasn't - I was just curious. Ok, I kind of was irritated that she was hogging the holiness out of the stone and not taking turns. I looked in her bag and realized...she had clothing in there.
She was rubbing underwear on it.
Many things run through my head about this, but the bottom line is that this woman was faithful.
She came to the stone with work to do, and nothing was going to stop her from praying over her notes and clothing.
I came and left empty handed and wondering about my level of faith. The Lord told me not to compare, because to him there's no such thing as levels. What matters to him is the heart and the belief that lies within it.
I'm curious. How do you come before God in prayer?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb 11:1
Erika, loved this post. So glad your trip to Israel was awesome! I'd love to go someday myself. Couldn't help but to get tickled at the lady rubbing her panties on that Holy stone. Fertility issues...?
ReplyDeleteThank you about your perspective on the possible fertility issue Beth. I think she was rubbing men's underwear. So could have been his issue too:)
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