A city on a hill, precious new friends, another Pete(r) and a Gamecock...in Israel!!!

“You are the world’s light, a city on the hill, glowing in the night for all to see.”

 These were Jesus’ words to His followers…and I understand them even better now. I just returned from having the privilege of living in Nazareth for two weeks! To live where Jesus grew up was very humbling and kept me reflecting on His life there the whole time. Nazareth is truly a city of hills! We stayed at the top of one of those hills and we could just picture Jesus walking from hilltop to hilltop!

The Sea of Galilee where He delivered this message is also surrounded by hills…no wonder He used this as an illustration. Everywhere you go, you would be able to look up and see light in the hills. In today’s modern world, the lights are very obvious, but I can even understand how firelight and candles would reflect the light throughout the hills in Jesus’ day. The light on the hills would provide a guide, a direction for those who were seeking their way….exactly like we should be doing for those who do not know their way to Jesus!

A small group of 5 from our church went to work alongside members of Nazareth Baptist School as they held their “camp” for two weeks for K – 3^rd graders. As hard as it was to leave so soon after my Mom’s death, I knew I was supposed to go…My mission minded Mom would not have wanted me to miss this opportunity to go and share Him in Israel! Our children’s minister had written material incorporating science experiments, crafts and games to reinforce the Bible Story which was shared every day by a dear new Arab sister in Christ. Working with 80 Christian and Muslim children, we found ourselves relying on Him even more as our boxes of supplies were held up through governmental red tape! But He did not let us down…we scrounged and figured out ways to do things despite not having supplies! We were determined to be sure that light was going to shine! Our kind new friends from the church and some of the teenager counselors interpreted for us as we taught and mingled with the children. We were reminded of two things - how much you can communicate without words and that children are the same all over the world!  We had the quiet, shy ones, the loud, rambunctious ones, the ones who really wanted to learn and the ones who pretended like they didn’t care…but we knew they did! It was so much fun being a part of their lives for two weeks! They were precious!

Nazareth is an Arab town and so you can imagine, we stood out as we walked throughout the town and rode the buses. Everyone we met was very gracious and welcoming! When children from the camp would see us around town, they would run to get their parents or friends and bring them over to meet us. Of course, if we were without an interpreter, we couldn’t talk to them but it didn’t matter….our smiles and hugs paved the path of friendship!

Another part of our joy was meeting and spending time with members of the church who meet in Nazareth Baptist School. We were blessed by their spirit of joy in Jesus! In church, we sang familiar songs in English alongside them as they sang in their beautiful Arab language. We had interpretation for most of the service but when we didn’t, it didn’t matter. What I love most about worshipping overseas is the feeling in my Spirit when I know that the person praying is praying to my God…even when I don’t know a word they are saying!

Our International Mission Board began Nazareth Baptist School in the 1930s. I was proud to see the words “Southern Baptist” written over the doorframe! When the board restructured, they turned over the control of the school to the local Baptists and they are doing a great job continuing the mission of excellent education combined with the witness of Bible classes and chapel each week. The reputation of the school draws children from Muslim backgrounds as well as Christian backgrounds. The parents have to agree that their child will attend chapel and Bible classes in order to go to the school. What a light this school is in a dark place! Some of our new friends in the church also work with the school. Arabs have such a spirit of hospitality and are so gracious and unhurried as they enjoy spending time together. Strong believers are definitely the minority in this place…and we felt so privileged to be there to get to know them, encourage them and help them. They are truly lights in a dark world…and as Christians in America, it has been even more obvious to us that we need to be so supportive in helping those who are there as they seek to open the door to Christ to so many lost people.

I have always said that I love God’s sense of humor!! Imagine my surprise when during a “coffee break” one morning at camp, I looked up to see a young American guy walking into the school with a Gamecock shirt on! I looked at him and said, “Gamecocks!!!???” He was from Charleston and was working with a group from YWAM (Youth with a Mission). They were traveling around the world and joining in to help at different ministry spots. They were there with us that day to help with sports activities! We had a fun few minutes enjoying our love for the Gamecocks…all the way across the world in Israel! 

If you follow this blog, you know how the Lord has been so sweet to send me “Petes” all over the world! Well, he did it again! There was a precious boy named Peter at the camp…a big 3^rd grader who was “all boy” but who had such a gentle heart! I fell in love with him….and so loved that the Lord gave me another Pete to pray for …this time in Israel! I was missing Pete a lot while I was there. Israel has always been our favorite place on earth…because it was our Lord’s home. I miss Pete every day…but even more so while I was in Israel! He would have LOVED being in Nazareth! The school has some construction projects going on and he would have just jumped right in to help them!

Ramadan began while we were there. We could hear firecrackers every night when they broke their fast for the day. Hearing their firecrackers and calls to prayer kept us on our knees for their hearts and minds. We would look out over that city of hills each night and see the flickering lights they would put in their windows as they celebrated Ramadan. Little did they know that those flickering lights were signs to us to pray specifically for that home…that they would come to know the real Light!

“You are the world’s light – a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see.

 Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all;

let your good deeds glow for all to see,

so that they will praise your heavenly Father.”

 Matthew 5:14-16

Lord, may we be true lights for you…no matter where you have us on this earth!

 May we be that guide to You!

Use us to bring glory and honor and praise to You and You alone!

Trees and rainbows!!

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence. He is like a tree planted along a riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into the water…a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought. Its leaves stay green and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 7-8

 I want to be a tree!

Many years ago, Pete and I decided when each grandchild reached the age of 15, we would take that grandchild on a special trip with us. It has been one of the highlights of our time with our grandchildren! Our fourth grandchild, Noah, turned 15 this year so he and I headed out west last month to do some traveling and exploring together. We missed his Papa greatly but delighted in sharing some of the fantastic sights in Arizona and New Mexico and in spending time together! As we drove through miles and miles of dry, flat and brown sandy land, we both agreed that we missed seeing the green trees and grass of good ole South Carolina!

I have been thinking about that since we returned…even as I mourned the anniversary of Pete’s death and the going home of my Mom. They sought to be trees with strong roots…and the fruit they produced was good.

I was having a conversation with the Lord about this and told Him I really wanted to be a healthy tree! I didn’t just want Him to help me water my roots, I wanted Him to saturate them with His water! I desire to be so full of Him that He just overflows out of “my tree”! I know that comes from seeking Him through His Word, through conversation with Him, through listening to Him, through taking those daily steps of faith, through challenges from Him, through wise counsel and instruction from others who seek Him...I need to seek strength daily.

  
 We have had a lot of rain here these last few days. I was walking with my Dad a couple of days after my Mom went home to Heaven. He is exactly where I was this time last year…barely putting one foot in front of the other, wondering how in the world he is going to take the next step without Mom, grieving down to the depths of his soul. As we walked, we looked up and saw an absolutely beautiful rainbow stretched from end to end in the sky above us! We stood there in awe and I said, “Daddy, that is a hug from God to you! Think about what a rainbow means…it is a sign of God’s promises, a sign of new beginnings!” I know God meant for Daddy to see His rainbow…it didn’t last long…if we had come out earlier or later, we would have missed it. I love it when He shows us His Father love…

“I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you.” Genesis 9:13

Not long after Pete died, a dear friend said to me, “Don’t just look for rainbows, seek to be the rainbow!”

I want my roots to grow deep and His light to shine like a rainbow through me to others! I have lots to do….Pete, my mom and my grandmom would all be busy doing His work if they were still here…I have lots of fruit to bear and colors to shine in their place!! Lord, use me!

Thank you, Lord, for trees, roots and rainbows! May You receive all the glory!