Shalom Dear Friends and Family,
Living has a new meaning for me now that I live in Israel. There’s a song by Nichole Nordeman that goes like this:
Live
Did you come that we might just survive?
Did you come so we could just get by?
And did you walk among us so we might merely limp along the side?
I was bound, I have been set free
But I have settled for apathy
Did you come to make me new and know I’d crawl right back into the skin you found me in?
It’s where I am, not where I’ve been
But you make me want to live, you make me want to live
You came to shake us and to wake us up to something more than we’ve always settled for
And you make me want to live
We’ve all been up on the mountaintop
A golden glow that’s bound to soon wear off
And then it’s back to the mundane
Telling tales of glory days when we were hopeful that this change was here to stay
You make me want to live
You make me want to live
You came to shake us and to wake us up to something more than we’ve always settled for
And you make me want to live
So why would a young man live in a wasteland when the castle of his dreams is standing by?
And why would a princess put on an old dress to dance with her beloved and the chance to catch his eye?
You make me want to live
You make me want to live
You came to shake us and to wake us up to something more than we’ve ever felt before
Wake us up to something more than we’ve always settled for
You make me want to live
You make me want to live
If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you know that Iran has called for the destruction of Israel. As a result, Israel has been in a state of high alert. On top of this, we have problems in Gaza (as we’ve all predicted) with Islamic Jihad. Israel took out a Jihad top guy and as a result, Jihad suicide bombed an open market in Hadera. Israel then went into Gaza as a result of that and then Jihad is retaliating again. Back and forth, back and forth but we know which side to be on, right? Everyone shout out, “Israel!”
So all of this has me thinking… As I hop on my bus that is such a casual part of my routine now, as I walk down Jaffa Street into the center of Jerusalem, as I walk through the open market to purchase some fruit, as I go to a café with some friends… I think to myself, “I don’t want to die. I want to live”. Death holds no grip on me because I am a child of the Most High, but living now holds more meaning. You see, it’s not enough for me to merely stroll my way through life. It’s not enough for me to settle for the average. It’s not enough for me to exist. I want to LIVE. How do I live though? What must I do to be alive in a world of death?
Consider what Ephesians 4:1-4 says:
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.”
The first action word listed is to walk. And in a world full of people that are sitting and even lying down, walking is what we must do to live! Where must you walk? In your calling, whatever that may be, wherever that may be. And if you feel you do not know what your specific calling is, I would be more than happy to pray and fast for you as you seek God in this. But it is so important that we identify what God has called us to. And I want to speak to you and exhort you that a calling is never easy and is never comfortable. Joyful, yes, but never easy and never average. I can’t think of a single Biblical example of a boring and mundane calling.
So I turned 26 on Thursday! Reinette woke me up at 6:45AM and I walked into the kitchen to be serenaded by she and Pamela in a Hebrew rendition of “Happy Birthday to you”. They had a chocolate cake with a ton of candles, some roses, a card signed by all the staff and a card signed by all the patients I work with and some small items from our hospital gift shop (gum, napkins, chocolate). It was so sweet of them to go through all that trouble for my birthday! It really helped me on my first birthday away from family. Throughout the day, my mom and some of my friends in Israel sang happy birthday over the phone which was really fun! Later after work, Pamela, her cousin, Luze, Reinette and I went to “Thedeepend” worship service for young adults at our Congregation where we worshiped with hundreds of other people our age for two hours. It was amazing! After that, we went to a Thai restaurant where I was treated to a birthday dinner. And after that, I met up with a small group of friends for a birthday dessert at a café. One friend gave me my favorite chocolates from Syria (yes, they’re SAFE!) It truly was special to celebrate my birthday in Israel… my first of many! Ironically, I received in the mail two birthday cards (one from my mom-mom and the other from a bible study friend) on my birthday… talk about perfect timing! (Mom mom’s are good with those kinds of things) J And for those of you who have not checked my blogsite: http://braveandunafraid.blogspot.com/ be sure to visit for some pictures of me with Israelis tanks! (another birthday treat)
This past week I also had a meeting with Christian Friends of Israel and we determined that my start date will be November 21st! I will be moving into my apartment on the 19th. I am so excited for this new season of ministry. I ask for your continued prayers for this next step! http://www.cfijerusalem.org/default.asp
In closing, I urge you all to keep lifting up Israel in prayer. We are entering a phase of renewed terror and the climate has changed dramatically in just one week. We need your intercession desperately.
This is Erin reporting LIVE from Jerusalem…
Am Yisrael Chai!