The other carpenter from Israel
In June, I traveled to Israel for the first time. The trip was nothing I imagined it’d be — and it was better than I could have imagined at the same time. The next dozen of my posts will undoubtedly revolve around Israel, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t start with this story first.
I went to Israel to encounter Jesus. I know He’s not physically living anymore, but I thought if I could be closer to His hometown, maybe I’d experience Him more deeply. If I saw where he grew up, maybe I’d grasp more of His character. If I saw where he died, maybe I’d understand the depth of His love. I boarded the plane with great expectations.
Our tour was led by three incredible guides. One is a pastor, one is a professor, and one is an American who has lived in Israel for the past 30 years. To say we hit the jackpot of tour guide lottery is an understatement. We got the best of the best (thank you Gerad, Tim and David!).
Our tour guide who lives in Israel is named David. He grew up in Minnesota and Jesus captured his heart when he was 17. After marrying his wife, the pair moved to Israel where she was from. When David isn’t guiding tours, he’s a carpenter. Coincidentally, he actually resembles the Jesus we see in pictures, too.
A few people got sick on the trip and David walked to the pharmacy to get medicine for them at night. Our bus driver was also named David (pronounced “Daa-veed”) and the tour guide David invited him to join us at dinner. We traveled with a sweet 17-year old named Rachel and David continued to check on her throughout the trip, treating her as he would his daughter. Appearance and profession aside, David exuded Jesus’s essence. I noticed his kindness throughout the trip. He did it totally incognito and for no reward, but it really touched my heart. Three of my favorite quotes from him include, “Driving through Israel is like driving through a miracle,” “Israel is a picture of ourselves” and “Jesus never promised that this life would be easy. In fact, he promised trouble. But you don’t run half the race and just give up.” One of David’s favorite Bible verses is “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12) and he lives it. He has this calm presence regardless of the situation. He knows who God is and knows who God says he is and lives out of that knowledge. And he’s really funny and knows every fact about Israel, too.
Before traveling to Israel, I prayed and asked to encounter Jesus. While I was there, Jesus didn’t come down from the clouds or speak after my baptism in the Jordan River, but He did show up. He showed up through the person-hood of a humble, thoughtful, fatherly, hilarious tour guide named David. And for that, I am grateful.
Joyfully,
Lauren
