When your legs don’t work like they used to before

Today we rejoice after [barely] surviving 3 days peaking at 118 degrees. As we walk outside into the cool 80 degree morning air, we all debate grabbing a sweatshirt. It's funny how us Michiganders break out the bikinis and Chacos on the first day above 50 & here I am wearing a sweatshirt in Israel on the first day below 100. We started off on a great note: in high spirits as we recited the prayer Shema Israel. Over and over again "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Throughout the day, God revealed to each one of us what it looks like to make this our anthem here in Israel & as we return home. As Ben taught us this morning, the trip isn't over tomorrow, it begins tomorrow. With this prayer in our head and on our lips, we set off to our first stop, an overlook of the Sea of Galilee in the Decapolis region. It was this very place a demon-possessed man known as Legion was, and even in a region of Pagan-like lifestyle, he was seen as an outcast. But Jesus is drawn to this; the flawed, the poor, the possessed. His grace brought healing to the demon-possessed and left many in awe. Our next stop was a favorite to many, as we made the trek to Gamla, jumping from rock to rock, Ed Sheeran’s words “when your legs don’t work like they used to before” became a reality. Here we got to read from scripture in a synagogue Jesus most likely read Isaiah 61 proclaiming that he IS the person to bring hope to the poor & he doesn’t just say, he DOES. After spending 4 days in Galilee, we got to overlook the entire Sea of Galilee and we all stood in awe of its beauty & the beauty of God’s stories told here in the past and the ones that are yet to come. Lastly, we headed to the city of Bet She’an to hear yet another testament of Jesus’ healing/restoration/grace. He constantly places himself in the midst of chaos, brokenness and chooses to take the path less traveled.

In Matthew 7:13 we are commanded to “enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction.” Today we encountered places where temptations were and still are so alive. For each and every one of us this looks different, but the gates giving eternity to God’s people are now open to ALL. Friends, this is GREAT news, so let us rid ourselves of our own comfort and go walk with those on the wide road: brothers and sisters who have not but need to hear the good news. Jesus came for us. He came for ALL.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” –John 1:14

-Natalie Glatz