Walls

Walls. Walls can symbolize an obstacle or safety. Walls can be a healthy thing or a sign of dysfunction. But right now I’m reflecting on a certain wall. One located far from home but felt like home when I got there.

When I was praying at The Western Wall recently in Israel, it was a holy moment. The cold, rough texture of the wall on my hands was stabilizing as I poured out my heart before the Lord.

A few moments before then I stood waiting for an opening at the wall. I wondered how in the world I could have a sacred moment with the Lord. All around me was a cacophony of sights and sounds. It was crowded. There were celebratory sounds from a bar mitzvah nearby. How do you find a still moment amidst mayhem?

I noticed a woman in front of me had ear buds in. Brilliant! I quickly pulled out mine from my bag and selected a song that had been a theme on the trip: Promise Land by Crowder.

The Red Sea parted in front of me as the first strands of the song poured into my ears and straight into my heart. I let the Spirit lead as I raised my hands and pressed my forehead against a smooth section of the wall. Pain and elation mingled together as I let loose. I cried. I wailed. I cried out with groanings too deep for words. I gave myself permission to meet with Yeshua, the lover of my grief-weary soul. Tears streamed down my face and I didn’t care who was around or heard the cries of my heart. In that moment, I was standing on holy ground locked in an intimate soul connection. Periodically I felt a hand on my shoulder. I found out later it was one of my fellow travelers on the tour.

The song was ending and so was my prayer... but only for that moment. I let out a long sigh and stepped back to give others a turn. I felt tender and raw as I wound my way through the crowd to meet the rest of my tour group. I was so thankful for the experience. I almost wished I would’ve asked someone to take a picture but it had felt too personal to capture. But I got a surprise after I returned home. Unbeknownst to me, my friend, Deby, had snapped this picture while I was praying.

Thank you for this treasure! If you don’t know about Deby’s organization, check it out: songforIsrael.org and the Israel Tours here.

By Christine (Israel Tour 2019)