Israel flight... coming home.

Dear Lovie,

As I head back on a transatlantic flight from Israel, I am struck yet again by the kindness of the people. I am on an El-Al flight (their country's American Airlines) surrounded by Jewish culture, and here is what I see:

Strangers helping one another. (As I write at this moment, I am also conversing with a kind gentleman (Z.H.) from Israel, and we find out we have mutual acquaintances in Texas! It's a small world brothers and sisters...)

I have spent the last two weeks traveling around Israel with brothers & sisters from my home church, and everywhere I go there is kindness and a brotherhood/sisterhood. I cannot tell you how many times the kindness of strangers helped me out of a tight spot during the trip. I am so grateful...
There is much to observe and learn.

Perhaps this is why I love the country of Israel so much, and I long to go back again... and again... and again.
I want to learn to be more kind and long suffering. I want to learn to be more loving toward strangers. My heart yearns for people of all nations... that they may feel this love and kindness... even if it's from a total stranger like me.

When I allow these thoughts to permeate my mind and heart, they immediately affect my world and those in it. There's always a direct correlation. What we feed our brains/hearts plays out in our daily lives...

What are you ingesting today? Is it love and kindness, or something spiritless/servant-less like pride, arrogance, control, self-sufficiency, isolation, or busyness? The list goes on... and we are all guilty in some way of this truth.

The layers of ourselves begin to be washed away when the Holy Spirit takes over, and what we are left with is an exposed vulnerable heart for all the world to see/experience... HIM. Entrusting yourself to Him, brings on a unique freedom in living... one of the fruits being Peace in the midst of life's chaos.

And believe it or not, overflowing Joy will run like a raging river from heaven straight into your heart, for He is the River of Life. I pray that you will allow Him to flow through you and quench your longings as only He can do...

Holy Spirit of God, thank You for the provisions to travel to the Holy Land again. Thank You for Your faithfulness to the Jews and to all who believe in the One True God. Thank You for the perseverance You have instilled in Your people. Thank You for being the Only One who keeps His promises in this world. Thank You for Your boundless grace and mercy, and Your desire to reconcile us all to You. And for this... most of all... thank You for Your
Son, Jesus. May we all thirst to know Him and live out His teachings... in Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

#JesusisKing
~maribel

Op 02132019

* Trip was in 2014.