Divine Economy

The plane erupted into cheering when we finally took off after 21 hours of bus rides, sitting on the tarmac and airport “adventure sleeping”. Our flight got a little bumpy at times, but we made it just fine. We had been up for 48 hours when we finally met Roby, Erez, and Meir at the airport. It was so wonderful seeing each of them!

Pastor decided that we would take the morning to rest and then begin touring at lunch. It was hard to wake up, but it was a great blessing to freshen up before we began our journey.

Our day in Jerusalem began with a fabulous lunch at Tony’s Pizza. We devoured our shwarma, falafel and pizza… yes and ice cream too with much gusto!

We headed to the Cardo. Cardo means heart… like cardiologist. The Cardo is an ancient street that runs through the Jewish Quarter. Basically, it was Main Street, Jerusalem back in its day. The pillars still stand that lined the streets. As Meir was sharing with us about the Heart of the City, We heard a great rumbling coming from the street above. Two young men, dressed in white with shofars on their backs came walking down the street beating their hand drums. They were leading others into worship and to the Western Wall. Of course, Meir said that Pastor had had that arranged especially for us. Haha. Pastor spoke up and said, well if we were in the heart, we just a great dose of the heartbeat! Gets the blood pumping!

The Jewish Quarter lived up to its familiar peacefulness yet again today. Meir shared that with school about to end for the year there were a lot of field trips occurring. The streets were full of laughing, and playing children. There it was. The heart of the city. The streets were circulating with life. L’chaim! Weaving in and out of the joyful crowd. People worshipping, children laughing, and friends greeting each other. Just an ordinary, simply beautiful day.

Meir led us to a small quiet courtyard. We gathered under the shade of an olive tree and listened as he shared with us, his love for his city. He said,

No other city has been destroyed as many times as Jerusalem. 37 times! The city has been rebuilt layer upon layer for centuries. She has been in a constant state of tug-o-war. The peace and life we are experiencing today has not always been the case.

In 1948, the Jewish community was forced out of the city through famine and heartbreak and because of the Arab control of the city we were not permitted to enter within her walls. My father and grandfather would speak of these streets so lovingly. I had never seen them with my natural eyes, but every Friday night when my family would gather for Shabbat, they would describe every street corner and alley way and fill my heart with images. In 1967, I had a 48 hour leave from the war. I knew that we had fought and won our way back into the city. Instead of going home to my family, I went to the home of my family. I passed through the gates and knew exactly where I was going. Many of the first Jews who returned to the city did not know the way to the Western Wall because it was their first time walking through the streets, but I knew! The gift of my father and grandfather opened before me and I walked straight through as if I had done it every day of my life! What a gift! I realized my face was wet, I was crying and I didn’t even realize it. As I approached the Western Wall, I felt this electricity surge inside of me. I was here!

To this day, I get butterflies in my stomach as I walk through these streets. I am in love with my city.

After Meir finished sharing, Pastor spoke up.

For a city with the word “peace” in her name, she has rarely ever seen it. But isn’t this the way of God? He pronounces a word over you and then leads you down roads that look like the exact opposite of this promise. The tearing down comes. When your city is named peace and all you have known is warfare, it seems like a cruel joke, but on your road to victory, you will be fought. Conflict will come on the road to what God has for you. Your battle will be for your peace. Do not be surprised that you must press. We always think that peace should be like this quiet courtyard with a delicate breeze blowing, but the truth is the struggle makes these moments all the more precious.

Pastor said that he received one of his greatest gifts in this moment. When he finished sharing, Meir looked at him with light shining in his eyes. He didn’t say anything, but he just patted Pastor’s back. His warmth said: “You get it.”

We took a moment to get our hearts clear with God before proceeding to the Western Wall. I had all of the words from the sharing flowing over me as I approached this unusually empty holy place. I was looking to all of the prayers tucked into the wall and all of yours in my hands knowing that God longed to give us these things. I have seen amazing answers to prayer come from this place. I believe He really does hear prayer in this here! All of the millions of tiny paper requests and the billions of tears, He longs to answer each, but this day I realized that more than these gifts is God’s greatest gift: that we learn to value what He is giving.

God has this divine economy that doesn’t just give the gift without a battle. He does this so we will appreciate what He is doing. He is saying make your requests known, but more than giving you these things He says, “I want to teach you how to value the things that you are asking for.”

I was remembering Hannah and how she had to go through the process of learning to value before the fruition of the prayer. She had to walk through barrenness to appreciate fruitfulness, but more than just appreciation God needed her to know that He needed her son, that Israel needed him, far more than she did. The gift… yes was the son, but the greater gift was the lesson in valuing. It’s the salt making the sweet, taste sweeter.

Lord, may I learn this!

An example of the bittersweet occurred moments after God was showing me His heart in these matters. When we entered the plaza, Pastor had a leading that after we finished praying at the Wall, if anyone had it on their heart they could call home and pray with their families. As we were sitting, waiting on different ones to finish. Heather approached the group and mid-sentence, Pastor said Heather… you need to call your dad.

As many of you may or may not know. Heather’s grandfather, Craig’s father, Mr. Barton passed away just this last Thursday. There was a moment when Heather wasn’t sure she would be able to come on this pilgrimage because she would miss the funeral, but God helped all of us to know that she and Drew were where they should be. She looked at Pastor and said, “yes please! It was on my heart. I wasn’t going to ask, but God asked for me.” It was then Daddy realized that today was the day of the funeral.

Heather was able to share with her dad that she was praying for peace for him, her grandmother and the entire family right then. They wept over the phone. Heather shared later that she was almost getting to the point of feeling guilty that she wasn’t expressing her grief, but as she approached the Wall, she felt it being pulled out of her. And she wept in thankfulness as she prayed for her families peace. (and I am crying now…) She said,

“I was so comforted. I didn’t know 6 months ago that the day of my Grandfather’s funeral would be the day I was standing at the Western Wall. I have been thinking about the legacy that he has left for the family, and I am realizing that we all can leave that legacy also.”


We returned to the Jewish Quarter and made our way to the Hurva Synagogue. For years, we have been watching as this beautiful place of worship was being rebuilt. Our guide was a beautiful young lady with a lovely New York accent who shared her love for this place with passion and joy. She said this synagogue is a beautiful symbol of the Jewish people. It has been destroyed and rebuilt 6 times over the past
300 years (and hopefully this is the last time). “And just like this structure, we keep getting up after devastation upon devastation and keep rebuilding.”

There was this theme again! That the beauty of God accomplishing something is often right next to our greatest hurt, pain and devastation.

We climbed to the top of the synagogue and beheld one of the most spectacular views of Jerusalem and the Jewish quarter you could ever ask for.

I encourage you to reconsider the struggles you are facing. You are being led through them on purpose to receive a greater appreciation for their resolution!