A trip of a lifetime
Rob and I had the opportunity to visit Israel with our dear friends, one of which was an interim Pastor at our church. This trip did not occur by chance, but it was one of those Godwink moments that happen so often in our lives when we open our eyes to see. Rob had recently lost a dear friend to a long and suffering illness. The days in our home did not pass with much laughter as we were also having to face the difficult reality of the failing health of his mother.
Out of the blue I received an email from a fellow church member that had recently moved sharing that there were a few pen slots for an upcoming trip to Israel in a couple of months. I shared the email with Rob since we had talked in passing about going one day so he could get an idea of what the price would be for us to go. He would mumble a response, nodding his head like almost all husbands do when they are “listening” to their wives. We went on to talk about other topics when he came back to it and said we should go. I agreed, we would go one day. No, he said, we should go now, we of all people know that life is short and tomorrow may never come. It was that quick, I responded the next day and we started on our journey to Israel.
I will share that this trip changed me. Rob and I, although together, had individual experiences on this trip at different sites and services reached us in different ways. Tonight, I want to share one of those moments with each of you.
We came to the location where Jesus was imprisoned the night before his crucifixion. Our small group encircled a stone hole in the ground, large enough for a body to be thrown in. As we stood looking down to its depths, there was nothing but darkness below, I could feel the cold coming up from the pit as I leaned down to get a better view. Our small group proceeded down the steps carved in the stone that brought us to the dark room below. The uneven stone could be felt as we stepped carefully and looked up to see the small sliver of light from the hole up above.
And then it happened, there is a lone podium in the corner of the room and our dear friend and Pastor proceeded to set the scene. This is where Jesus was thrown the night before His crucifixion, this is what we did to Him. He sat here alone in the darkness knowing what tomorrow would bring, He suffered as a human so we could all be saved. As he finished, he turned to me and asked me to read what was on the podium. The binder had Psalm 88 in every language I could imagine.
I moved up to the podium, and in the absolute silence I read these words. “Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.
I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like the one without strength. I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.
You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared to the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?
From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. You have taken from me friend and neighbor-darkness is my closest friend” (Psalm 88, NIV).
As I finished, the silence weighed on our shoulder as we slowly made our way back up those carved steps. I don’t know what anyone else felt that day, but I felt a sorrow I had never known. Maybe that’s why I shared in a previous post that I would say yes if Jesus came knocking at my door, because for a moment, I understood the depth of loss in a no.
Today, I pray that you listen to and follow those Godwinks when they happen. I pray that one day you find your way to Israel, it will change you, it will leave you with a hunger to dig deeper into the Word- I know it did for me.
2 responses to “A trip of a lifetime”
RitaHolland
Aug 13, 2025 at 4:09 pm
That pit was one of the most compelling parts of my trip to Israel as well. I could feel the thickness of the sorrow in the air.
Cristina Moore
Aug 13, 2025 at 6:41 pm
It is hard to describe but a feeling never forgotten.
