Being Salt and Light: A Journey of Helplessness, Hope, and Divine Opportunity

Matthew 5:13 says, "You are the salt of the earth."  Sometimes, that's a hard concept to grasp, one that takes on a profound significance when we reflect on our personal experiences. There was a time in my life when I felt utterly helpless to support the people I love. However, through that journey, I discovered that God was not only working in mysterious ways but also opening doors for me to make a difference in unexpected and impactful ways. 

There was a season when my heart ached for my loved ones who were facing immense challenges. No matter how much I wanted to help, their circumstances were beyond my control. It was a period of feeling like my salt had lost its flavor, unable to preserve the well-being of those I cared for. I'm a fixer, and I couldn't fix it. Despite my helplessness, I held onto the truth that God's ways are higher than our own and that He had a plan even in the midst of uncertainty. 

In those moments of helplessness, I turned to God in prayer, seeking guidance and solace. I clung to the reassurance that God is the ultimate Preserver, and even when circumstances seemed dire, His plan was at work. I leaned into the trust that just as salt has the potential to enhance the flavor, God could use my challenges to bring about something meaningful and purposeful.

As time passed, I began to witness unexpected doors opening before me. Opportunities arose for me to serve and support others in unique and impactful ways. It was a stark reminder that God's timing is perfect, and His ways are beyond our understanding. I discovered that God had taken my initial feelings of helplessness and transformed them into avenues of hope and encouragement for others.

Just as salt enhances the taste of food, I realized that my experiences, though challenging, had equipped me to relate to and uplift others who were facing their own struggles. Romans 8:28 reminds us to remember that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  

Looking back, I am humbled by how God orchestrated my journey from helplessness to empowerment. I learned that even in moments of uncertainty, God is at work, shaping and molding us into instruments of His grace. My experiences have taught me the profound truth that being salt and light means allowing God to use our challenges and triumphs to enhance the lives of others and illuminate their paths with hope and inspiration. My journey from helplessness to purpose taught me that, just as salt can transform the taste of a dish, God can transform our trials into opportunities for impact. 

Whatever your loss, whatever valley you might be walking through today, please remember that even in our darkest hours, God is at work, shaping us into instruments of His transformative grace. 

Free to Choose

"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it... So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days" (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, 19-20)

Moses gave them a choice to make and even went as far as to tell them what to choose. Since the beginning of time, life has been about choice and consequences. In the garden of Eden, much was good and pleasurable. There was only one tree of which Adam and Eve were not to eat the fruit. They had a choice to make: God’s way or the way of evil. God even told them what to choose (Genesis 2:16), yet they still chose poorly. There are still choices that Christians need to make as well. We are free to choose a life of obedience with all the rewards that go along with it or a life of rebellion and the consequences that will follow. This freedom to choose is given to all of humanity.

Six thousand years ago, Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit; two thousand years ago, the people chose Barabbas (Matthew 27:21). Life and freedom have always laid in the balance of choice.

God chose all Christians to be priest, a chosen race for His own possession (1 Peter 2:9). The call to priestly duty is not just a blessing; it requires responsibility. For the Christian, being grafted in has purpose greater than the mere enjoyment of blessings; there is a ministry to perform and life to choose.

Just do it now; choose wisely; choose today: whom shall you serve?

Sixteen Sojourning Servants

Our last day of touring in Israel always brings a mournful emotion. The same one I have when my kids are leaving after being home for a holiday and I wonder if the Lord will let us be together again, this side of heaven.
Today was an emotional day as we retraced Jesus last day on this earth. It started with prayer at The Garden of Gethsemane! How amazing it is to pray in the same place that our Lord prayed. We went to an Upper room similar to one that Jesus would have had the Last Supper in and visited the tomb of King David.  We walked to the house of Caiaphas. The ruins underneath the house are thought to be authentic from Jesus day. There is a pit that is believed to be the place where Jesus would have spent the last night of His life. There were rooms where Barabbas and the other two thieves would have been kept. We also heard the roosters crow outside the house as we stood in the same place where Peter denied Christ three times. A convicting experience.
From there we went to the place called Golgotha, or the place of the skull. Here stands a rock maybe 75' high that is surprising shaped like a skull. It sits right outside the city gates and is believed to be the place of the crucifixion. It is very close to a garden that scholars believe was owned by Joseph of Arimathaea. He was the rich man who came to take Jesus body. There is a tomb in this garden, and, it is empty.
Of course, it's empty, for HE IS RISEN!
While we don't know for sure that this is the Tomb in which Jesus was laid, we know it was a place very near to this one, and very much like this one. And I believe it's a good thing that we don't know for sure, as we would certainly start worshiping the place, instead of the Giver of all.
Today we had lunch down on Ben Yehuda street and had some fabulous ice cream and crepes. Dinner was at a restaurant called Pashas. They have the best lambs chops in Israel! A few awards were given for suburb performance throughout the week. Ryan won the award for the most psychology questions answered. Way to go Ryan!!  Marilyn won the Energizer Bunny award! When everyone was exhausted, she stayed up a few hours later. (You did a great job leading the way). And only because Doug Sjoberg wasn't with us this trip, I won the most photos taken award!
I'm looking forward to our reunion dinner in a few weeks and the debut of the DVD I'll put together with 12,723 photo options!!!
We had a great group for this tour. The 16 sojourners from Maple Plain bonded with each other and 24 people from all over the Midwest. Everyone had their highlight of the trip. Some felt the Sea of Galilee was their favorite. Others felt the Lord speak truth to their souls through the young children that came to the birthplace of Jesus with the cutest little lamb. Still others were moved by what God still has left to do through Megiddo.
The most significant place for me this year was on the southern stairs of the old Temple. We climbed while reading the Psalms of Ascent. The steps here were created uneven as to cause the Israelite to think before each step was taken so they might not haphazardly approach the place of worship. The uneven steps would demand the Israelite approach the Temple with deliberate action and reverence of our Almighty God. I think today, at times, we can be so comfortable with our faith, thriving in the knowledge that God calls us "fiend" that we can forget that He is the almighty, all powerful, God of all and we approach the throne of Grace in a careless manner. Then, when I consider that the believer in Jesus Christ, IS, in fact, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, I am compelled to ask myself if I approach the Temple, my fellow believers, with the respect and reverence these Southern Stairs suggest adequate. This year, the Southern Stairs call me to put on the full Armor of God, run the race and sing the song that only I can with greater reverence and respect.
Heading home to the US always provokes a tear for me, but I know I will back in Jerusalem one day! If not the Old City, then the New Jerusalem! Hallelujah!

Sixteen Sojourning Servants

Thursday was our Free day. We walked several miles into the Old City to shop. I will say, we successfully contributed to the economy of Israel!
We also went on a tour of the older City of David. This part of the old city is currently being excavated. It is 10x the size it was 5 years ago. We even went down into the old sewer. In places it was very narrow and reminded me of Petra. We also climbed the Southern Stairs as we recited the Psalms of Assent. We had lunch in the Old City and I tried my first Shwarma. Lamb meat and all the salad fixins in a pita pocket. Yum! I will have to do that again!
We walked home past the King David hotel and the Jerusalem YMCA.
It was a great day in the old city!!!

Sixteen Salty Soar Sojourning Servants

Today we are sixteen salty soar sojourning servants!
We started our day at En Gedi. Much history can be found here. Thirteen of our group climbed to the top of En Gedi and what a beautiful site. We saw the ibex and the Cooney on the mountain.
It was just a short distance south along the west coast of the Dead Sea we arrived at Masada. This is the mountain where "The Last Revolt" took place. Three from our group walked the snake path to the top of Masada. I guess some people just need to climb.
After all that climbing, we needed relaxation! We did just that at the Hod Dead Sea Spa and Resort. Some went swimming, some sat in the Hot Tubs, some just relaxed in the lawn chairs. The weather couldn't be better!

Sixteen Sojourning Servants

Today we are sixteen, sweaty, smelly sojourners in need of serious water!

I would say "information overload" would sum up the day! 

Our day started with a tour of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. After a short wait on the Plaza of the Western Wall, we toured through the Rabbinical Tunnel. These tunnels run underneath the Old City and date back to Jesus day. We can touch portions of the wall built by Solomon. Since our last visit in 2011, much has changed as they continue to excavate and uncover more history every day.

We came out of the tunnels on the other side of the city, so we stopped in at Saint Anne Church to listen to Stephanie sing for us. The acoustics are the best! We walk around the Pool of Bethesda. This is where the man laid for 38 years trying to get into the healing water until Jesus came to heal him. (John 5:2)

Our brains were filled with so much history before lunch; we decided to take a little information break and go shopping!! After a 30 minute delay at The Lion's Gate, we headed over to a Christian Olive wood store a few blocks away.  The owner of the store bought us pizza for lunch, so we drove up to the Mount of Olives to eat and have a quick camel ride.

We then drove down to Bethlehem Ephratah to a Shepherds field. New evidence shows this as the most likely place of Jesus birth. While we were here, we could a baby cry from a home nearby. A few children followed us with their donkey and a baby lamb.

We then had a crash course in Israeli archeology from prehistory to Jesus at the Jerusalem museum. Here we saw a scale model of old Jerusalem in the 2nd temple period. It was gigantic, and the detail was impressive. We then went through the Shrine of the book where portions of the Dead Sea scroll are kept.

One thing that stood out in our touring today was how many religions  (some Christian included), are tied to a certain place or time of day, or day of the week.  Many worship on these days or at certain events or holiday’s only, and the rest of the week, the rest of their lives, hey never give it thought.

Yet, we know that, we are now the Temple of Holy Spirit. God lives in those who choose to believe that Jesus is the Christ who came to take away the sin of the world. Our worship should be continual. We need to keeping asking ourselves "How’s my behavior? Am I on auto pilot just going through the motions, or do I worship God in everything I do?" This is why it's important to continue to study the Word of God, to show yourself approved, rightly interpreting the scripture, and when the scripture doesn't seem to agree or make sense, just keep digging because the answers are always there!

Sixteen Sojourning Servants

We have done so much in three days! On one hand, it seems like we have been here a month. On the other hand, we are just getting started. We had our last meal this morning in Tiberias overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We were blessed with a very rare view of the snow-capped Mount Hermon from our breakfast table. A spectacular site that even had the tour guide run back to take a second look.
We sort of went backward in history today as we began our tour at a 10th-century Christian Crusaders fortress called Belvoir. The history behind Belvoir, well let's say, it was a very sad time in Christian history.  From on top of this 1,600-foot mountain, we had another beautiful view of Mount Hermon some 60 miles to the north as well as the Jordan River Valley to the south. 
We then drove down to Beit She'an. Beit She'an is a huge city at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley. The site has everything from a temple built for the Greek god Zeus to a theatron, a bath house, stables, shops and even a public latrine. An earthquake destroyed the city in 749 but still we see beautiful mosaic tiles that covered the streets and pillars larger than any I have seen.
We proceeded down the cost to Qumran. In 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in several caves at Qumran. A group of Essenes (AKA the Dead Sea sect) lived here around the 8th century BC until the destruction of the Temple in 586 BC.
We then traveled through the West Bank down to the place in the Jordan River where it is thought that Jesus was baptized, and then over to Jericho before we headed to the Holy City.
Our last stop was up to Mount Scopus for an excellent view of the old city of Jerusalem. The moment we've all been waiting for, and it was utterly breathtaking!
Today we saw God's faithfulness at every site. In the destruction at Belvoir, we could see how God was faithful to once again protect Israel from an unjust war. Bet She'an, as strong as it was, they served other gods and in less than a minute, God removed the idolatry with an earthquake. At Qumran, we can see how God chose to provide proof of His faithfulness by leading a shepherd to the Dead Sea scrolls. The baptism place of Jesus reminds that God has not only told us what to do, but He also sent Jesus to teach us. We realized that this was no easy walk-in-the-park either. It's hot here by the dead sea. The terrain here is rugged, dry, barren and oppressive. But nonetheless, Jesus showed us the way.
At almost every site, we are blessed to hear a young woman, Stephanie, sing for us, but not just to us, to those who are nearby as well. Great is the faithfulness of God when we sing His praise in the presence of others! 
Today is Russ' birthday, and we sang to him from Mount Scopus. What a memory he will have!