Hey friends! Today was my lone day off between a second timers’ tour, a service extension, and the beginning of the next tour. I’m excited to meet our next group of guests who are set to arrive on Sunday.
But, what did I do with all that free time!?! I walked with Jesus! There is no Biblical evidence that Jesus actually walked on the beaches here in Netanya, but when Jesus lives in your heart, you can walk with Him anytime and anywhere! So, I tuned in via internet to a recorded worship service, caught up on email and preparations for the next tour, then I took a 2-hour stroll on the beach! It is almost November, but the weather is absolutely gorgeous! Temperatures have been in the 70’s or low 80’s the entire time I’ve been here, and today was no different. A perfect day for a prayer walk!
I awoke to a beautiful, peaceful view from my balcony. On the beach, people were strolling, families were building sandcastles, sailboats were sailing, and fishermen were fishing. Israeli beaches also have workout equipment, but I saw no one exerting themselves today!
Everywhere you turn in Israel there are new buildings going up. There are apartments everywhere and most are for sale, not for lease. Here on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, you can pick up a small oceanfront apartment for a mere 3-4 million NIS (New Israeli Shekel), which computes to a bit over $1 million US dollars! It is quite expensive to live here!
What intrigued me most during my time on the beach today was a parasurfer in a cove near the hotel. At times when I’ve been here, I’ve seen as many as a dozen scooting through the water, but today, only one lone parasurfer. But he was good! I saw his kite up for at least an hour and a half, which means he has good strength and stamina to manage the sail that propels him. I stood watching for quite some time as he zipped near the shoreline then back out into the cove. At one point, he was highjacked by a loose surf board that had gotten away from some kids. He had to eject from his board, then he kindly returned the runaway board to the kids. His board, meanwhile, washed ashore where I was watching. As he retrieved his board, we exchanged greetings. He had seen me sitting on the beach videotaping his ride, so we chatted, I got a selfie with him, and he promptly jumped back on his board and away he went again!
True, it was a day of relaxation and leisure. It was a fun day of relatively unscheduled time. But it was so much more than that! I love it when the Lord meets us where we are. As I walked in the ankle-deep surf, I was reminded of God’s goodness and grace. I could be anywhere, yet He allows me to be here in this place at this time. I am so blessed to belong to Him, and so humbled by His grace in allowing me to lead others on grand adventures in the land of the Bible. Each group is different and every trip is made special by the seemingly small things God does to remind us of His great love for His uniquely called people, and for us as believers. There is something special about being here, and it is my prayer that every believer will have the opportunity to come meet the Lord in a special way in this special place.
Twenty new tour guests will begin that journey tomorrow evening. Will you pray that we are attentive to all the “small things” God desires to bring our way? Thank you for your prayers…and please follow along as we take this journey together. I’ll post daily updates right here!
Shalom from Netanya, Israel!
