Making My List and Checking it Twenty Times

Tomorrow I leave for Israel. For the past week I have been making lists of things that I need to bring on my trip, going over items I am bringing on my trip with friends and family, and checking my bag over and over again. After all of the checking and rechecking I have decided I am ready to go. Well, I am going whether I am ready or not.

As I write this I am lying in bed with Tucker (my dog) and he brings me comfort. I am anxious, excited, nervous, tired, but I think I am mostly feeling thankful. I am thankful for a loving set of grandparents who are sending me on a trip to Israel. I am thankful for a family that supports me in what I do and travels far distances to not only watch but cheer me on as I finish last in races, and clap loudly for a five minute (if that) appearance in a play. I am thankful for friends who are excited for me and give me encouraging words, who have stayed up late talking, and are always available for a run in the woods or a run to Arbys. I am thankful for two church communities in Greensburg and New Wilmington who have raised me and nourished me. I am thankful for professors who have taught me and cared enough to take time to mentor me. I am thankful for a loving girlfriend and her family who take me in as one of them, even letting me be the grill master. Most importantly, I am thankful for God who has blessed me with all of these people and communities in my life and the countless blessings that have come from them all.

As I have been thinking about this trip, it is not just me who is going to Israel, but all of you are going with me. All of you, the people that I am thankful for, are what brought me to this point in my life. Without the love, encouragement, friendship, and growth, I would not be blessed with the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land. Paul talks about us as the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. Not only does this passage celebrate and encourage our differences as we are all different parts of the body, but it also celebrates community and unity showing that we are never alone as we need each other. So while I will physically be the only one flying on a plane tomorrow for many many many hours, you all will be there with me forever interconnected as a community of believers. As I walk the streets of Jerusalem and the surrounding towns I will be thinking of you all. As I eat the highly anticipated Middle Eastern food I will be eating an extra portion for you all. As I smell the sea where Jesus preached and listen to the language that the disciples spoke, I will be thinking of you all. As a community of faithful believers I thank all of you for your love and the opportunities that you have given to me. Please pray for our group for safe travels, and for the surrounding area of Israel for peace. The hotels I will be staying at claim that they have internet access, so I hope to update as I travel.

Peace,
John