Are You Up For A Quick, Little Adventure?

Life is always an adventure with God!

Do you need a little excitement, maybe a reminder that God is doing something? Then I’ve got just the ticket!

But first, I want to apologize. Hanging out with God in Jerusalem was my promise to you when I started this website. You may have noticed I’ve gone off-topic. I’m sorry.

To make it up to you, I’d like to whisk you away to my favorite venue in all of Israel. 

Hezekiah’s Tunnel 

Just outside the Old City of Jerusalem lie the remnants of the City of David. 

When King Hezekiah reigned, he was afraid his enemies would cut off his only water source so he constructed an underground waterway in case he was attacked.

I can’t imagine how anyone dug through limestone 3000 ago and built a tunnel that takes 20 minutes to walk through. But when you tour Israel, you need cool breaks from the heat and this ancient channel is perfect for that.

As we pass through the gate, purchase a ticket, and go down a gazillion steps, we come to the excavation of Warren’s Shaft, then a cavern and at last, this sign:

At the hole in the wall 
we step down 
into the water. 
Cold splashes our legs as we peer ahead into the darkness. 

I brought candles, but there was another sign, “No candles allowed.” 

With a dim flashlight, we begin our trek.

Halfway through my first visit, I’d stood in the middle of a class of 14 students, claustrophobic and scared. Old enough to be most of their mothers, I didn’t want to show my fear, but I wondered, does this water have snakes in it? 

Lessons of light in the middle of the dark

As the rock walls graze my upper arms, I turn my body sideways to avoid scratches. The whole experience reminds me of hanging out with God in 7 ways:

• Often, we’re in between a rock and a hard place before we turn to Him. We could avoid scrapes if we come sooner.
• But no, we wait until we’re in deep water, water that might have something scary in it. And I don’t know about you, but God doesn’t usually take me out of my problems. Instead, He walks me through them.
• When we only see the next step, maybe that’s the right amount of light? Because when I think I know the way, I often run ahead and leave God in the dust. 
• On a bumpy road, with too many challenges and too few answers, I crawl back. Maybe God allows bumpy roads because He wants a relationship with us and hopes the situation will draw us closer.
• I love the peace we get hanging out with God.
• I used to think life as a Christian would be boring and I’d have no cool friends, but I’ve got you! And hanging out with God is my favorite adventure.
• At last, the light at the end of the tunnel, at first dim, then it brightens. As we face darkness, let’s look for glimmers; they may possibly shed light on the reason for our challenges.

We climb up and out of the tunnel.
Refreshed and invigorated,
we empty the water from our shoes.

Our adventure with God is morphing a little

Last week, on top of all the issues Dad’s been going through, including another trip to the hospital to blast more kidney stones, he woke up to a flood in the kitchen. The faucet in the sink was on with a stopper in the drain. Water filled the basement. 

“The cat did it,” Dad said. 

Seriously? We gave him a hard time until my friend told me there’s actually a commercial for an insurance company telling the story of a cat flooding the house. Hm, Dad does give Marshall drinks at the sink.

Anyway, I prayed and realized that we each have callings, dreams, and responsibilities. 

• My calling is to write about hanging with God. 
• Spending time in the Holy Land is my dream. I hope to take part in a conference next year called Christ at the checkpoint.
• But I’m moving home to make caring for Dad my priority. That’s a responsibility.

So how does that affect us?

We’re on a journey, a virtual trip to Israel learning about the cultural background, the political situation and how all that impacts us and our faith. 

But not only that . . .

• As we broaden our horizons, we’ll see God
  • in our responsibilities
  • in our dreams
  • and our callings

• We’re a spiritual adventure team in search of miracles, discernment, and cool God stories. And we’re going to find them wherever we go! 

Because no matter where we are, life is an adventure when we hang out with God.

Bless you!

Thank you for joining me. 

Lord, please be with my friends. Help them to hear You. Tell them what they need to know. Heal them. And please make them giggle. Show them where their lost items are and bring their lost loved ones, like my cousin’s dog, Trapper, home.

And thank You, Lord, for peace that passes all understanding. In this crazy world, we so desperately need that.

Related Post: This is What Happened When He Said, “Go Now in Peace”

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