Why You Should Make Your Dreams A Reality Now
Everyone has dream destinations - that one that calls us through pictures. Maybe it is watching the sunset over Santorini, hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, or riding a camel through the desert. These quiet hopes live in the back of our minds, and light us up when we imagine them coming true. Dreams don't become a reality through wishful thinking alone. They transform through action. Life gets busy, responsibilities pile up and we tell ourselves, "Maybe one day..." The truth is, that "one day" shouldn't be put off because it may not happen. I always dreamed of going to Israel and walking the streets where Jesus Christ walked. One day I had a strong impression that I needed to go and take my children - sooner than later. That urgency resulted in an amazing trip that began in Athens, Greece. We explored the historical sites there and checked off seeing the Parthenon and Mars Hill from our bucket lists. We sailed from Athens to exotic places like Santorini and Mykonos, Greece as well as Kusadasi, Turkey, but the main reason we traveled that far was to explore Jerusalem.
We had a guide pick us up at the Haifa cruise port and drive us to Jerusalem. It was about a two hour drive. On the way our guide showed us where the West Bank was and talked to us about the conflict in their country. It was amazing to hear first hand his fear of what was happening to his country.
The first stop our guide took us to was the Mount Of Olives. The view overlooking the city of Jerusalem was spectacular and humbling at the same time because of the history that had happened in there. Seeing the Eastern Gate, also known as the Golden Gate - where Jesus is believed to have entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as he rode a donkey, brought all of the stories to life for me. There are some cities in the world that feel alive with history and this is definitely one of them. Every stone seemed to whisper stories from another era. From the moment we arrived, I felt like this was an experience layered with faith, conflict, culture and beauty.
My favorite stop of the tour was in Gethsemane. The strong Spirit that I felt there witnessed to me that the Savior bled from every pore there as He prayed to His Father right before He was arrested. I still get goosebumps as I imagine the Savior bleeding under an olive tree in that sacred garden. None of us wanted to leave, but our guide prompted us to move along so we could see as much of the city as possible before he had to take us back on the long drive so we could make it back to our cruise ship before it's departure.
As we approached the Old City walls for the first time, it felt surreal. It was hard to believe that within those walls stood some of the holiest sites in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Once inside the Jaffa gate, where we entered the city, we wandered through narrow alleyways packed with life. Vendors offered spices, handmade jewelry and hand carved olive wood treasures. Our fist stop with in the Old City was at the Western Wall. As we approached, we could hear the quiet hum of prayers being said. It is divided into two main sections - one for men and one for women. I paused before approaching the wall, taking in it's quiet power. The area was crowded, so it was so humbling to think of all those prayers that were going up to heaven at that moment, of the millions of prayers that had been said for years at that exact spot and that were recorded on little pieces of paper tucked into the crevices of the wall. I was grateful we were able to place a small piece of paper with our heartfelt prayers into the ancient stones.
Then our guide led us a short walk away, and we went to the site of the ancient Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. This is the first of the 14 Stations of the Cross. We followed the path that winds through the city called the Via Dolorosa, or the path believed to be the route Jesus took to his crucifixion. We stopped at each of the 14 stations along the way and our guide explained the importance of each marker. At Station 5, our guide pointed to a mark on the wall. He said that it is believed to be the "handprint of Jesus". This is the place where Simon of Cyrene is said to have helped Jesus by taking the cross to carry it for Him. The handprint is a concavity in a stone, which followers believe was created by Jesus leaning on the wall for support - weak and exhausted from a sleepless night bleeding from every pore - then beaten and bruised before experiencing the pain of having the crown of thorns forced onto his head, not able to take another step carrying the heavy cross. Followers of Jesus Christ have touched this spot for centuries, which has lead to its wear and the deepening of the imprint. Each of my family members also put their hand on the spot in reverence to show respect for what happened there. The via Dolorosa ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This is where Golgotha is located, the place believed to be where Jesus was crucified. It brought to life the reality of all that happened in that holy city. We could definitely feel the tension in the air between the different religions near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Believers of all religions gathered to worship there.
The sites, the smells, the sounds, the feelings, the reality of where we were brought emotions that I wasn't expecting. I was exhausted when our guide took us back to our cruise ship. That day I was filled with gratitude that I had made a dream happen, not only for me, but for several of my children. We were even more grateful that made our dream a reality when exactly 3 months later, Hamas-led militants launched a large-scale surprise attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel and started the current war. If I had continued to put off my dream and said, maybe next year, maybe when I save a little more or maybe when I retire, I might not have been able to go to that Holy City and experienced the adventure of a lifetime. We don't know when the current conflict will end or when it will ever be safe to travel to that part of the world again so I am grateful I got to at least spend one day there. I still want to go back and spend more time in that beautiful city and see some of the sites we didn't get to see, but at least I got to explore parts of my dream.
The world is changing rapidly. Conflicts spring up daily and the list of countries the U.S. Department of State advises against going to increases daily due to risks of terrorism, crime, civil unrest or conflict. Do not wait until your dream spot is on this list and you regret not being able to visit. Message me for help to make your dream a reality, don't wait another day until it might not be an option.
Every adventure tells a story - thanks for being part of mine.
Always exploring,
