A Pilgrimage that Started with Tears
Who would think I would shed tears deciding to set out on a wonderful journey that I have longed to take for many years? Before I was ready to fully accept God’s invitation for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, I had to journey to a place of agreement between what my soul wanted and what the Lord wanted for me. For years I have been declining opportunities to travel to Israel—not because I didn’t want to go but because I wanted to go with my husband by my side. I know that God could have arranged that for me, but instead He asked me to accept that He wanted me to be willing to go and leave everything behind.
When I was asked to make a decision about going on a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, God gave me this verse in answer to my prayer “Debi, observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess” (Deuteronomy 11:8). I decided through tears that I would go on this trip alone even though it was not what I wanted or had prayed for. Observing God’s commands on this journey means accepting that God’s best for me will always triumph even when I can’t see or sense it in the moment. I am asked to trust God from the heart. It means seeing that what I thought would be the way for Brian and Debi to go to Israel is not the way God made it happen. Going without Brian makes it more of a personal journey between God and me. I believe that I am crossing the Jordan to possess the spiritual blessings that await me there. I have already experienced the blessing of finding God’s nearness and purpose through the tears of deciding to make this journey.
“Accept the trials of life as they come, and look for the good in each. Only in this way can you advance and grow in stature. It is only through the power of My Spirit within you that you shall be able to tap hidden resources that have power to sustain you above yourself. Therefore you are not dependent upon nor limited by the level of your own strength of character, but you may rise above it and lift your own actions up into My divine pattern for you.”
—Frances Roberts, Progress of Another Pilgrim
I’m sure those on their pilgrimages to Jerusalem in Bible times didn’t find that everything worked out as perfectly as they dreamed either. They had to open their hearts, souls and spirits to God knowing that God does not meet their expectations. Like me, I’m sure they discovered for themselves that in the end it was exactly the best for them. The time for faithful souls to make their pilgrimage was according to God’s timetable, not theirs. They had to leave the comfort of their families and their homes to eat, drink and sleep on the road and face uncertain dangers lurking along the path. It wasn’t a dream destination vacation but rather a spiritual journey far richer for the soul.
My journey begins. My pilgrimage to Jerusalem to honor and worship the God of Israel lies ahead. Like so many others who have been sent to Jerusalem, I don’t fully comprehend why I am going. I don’t know the spiritual breakthroughs that wait for me there. I bring my tears, my hopes, and my joys. I know this journey is for my spiritual progress, and I’m blessed to have the privilege of taking it.
I am hoping that I can share this journey with you as it happens. I plan to blog about each day’s adventures with God for anyone who would like to read about it. The blogs will be posted on www.soulsistertime.blogspot.com and also on the Tea Time for Your Soul Facebook page. Look for them in those spots if you want to join me as I discover the spiritual blessings that await me on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
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