I felt giddy and excited as I heard the announcement at church that Sunday morning. Our congregation was organizing a trip to Israel and, although I had no idea how we could afford such a trip, I told my husband that I wanted to go.
We were a single-income family with two young children and bills to pay. I felt boxed in. Even if a “miracle check” arrived in our mailbox, the money would surely be spent on more appropriate things. Yet I continued to pray and hope.
A few weeks later, I read the passage from the prophet Ezekiel: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them” (36:37). I immediately sensed that this was a personal message for me. I continued reading, and felt God telling me that my prayers would be answered. I would be going to Israel—for His name’s sake. I penciled “January 14, 1999” along with the word “Israel” next to the passage in my Bible.
Although most of my fellow church members were ware that I didn’t have the money to pay for the trip, I couldn’t hide my excitement whenever the subject came up. When people aksed if I would be going, I responded, “I hope to.”
But as the weeks and months flew by, it did not look like I would be going to the Middle East. The itinerary was set and all those who would be traveling received their tickets. Sadly, my name was not on the roster. As ridiculous as it seemed, I couldn’t shake the sense that I was supposed to be on the plane.
Then it happened. Three days before the scheduled trip, I received a call from my pastor. He said, “Lucille, someone paid for your trip. You are going to Israel!” Even he was not allowed to reveal the donor’s identity. I hung up the phone and sobbed. To this day I don’t know who paid for that ticket.
Three days into our stay, we awoke early in the morning and made our way to the Mount of Beatitudes, which overlooked the Sea of Galilee. The air was foggy, dew dripped on the flowers and trees, and the shrill chirp of birds danced through the air. As we sat down in a huddle on the steps of the old church that had been built in that location I could picture Jesus walking with and talking to his followers.
Our Israeli guide began reading from Ezekiel 36. He began talking about the fact that God answers our prayers for “the sake of [God’s] holy name” (v. 22), not of ours. My eyes pooled with tears as God once again confirmed the words I’d read months earlier. I was sitting on the steps of that church so that others would know who God is. God had answered my plea and provided the trip.
Rarely do life events happen so powerfully or so mystically. But they do happen. I am convinced that most people have at least one life event that caused them to ponder spiritual events.
Spirituality and Well-Being
Being spiritual is not about self-sacrifice. It’s about self-care and paying attention to your inner pilot light. If you’ve ever made a quiet time part of your daily practice, you probably know how off-kilter you feel when you miss it. When you make time for spiritual self-care you learn to listen to your own voice as well as God’s and most often you find peace.
Lissa Rankin is a medical doctor who burned out trying to address what helped and what hindered her patients. She would treat one symptom in her patients only to have another pop up. After several catastrophic events happened to Dr. Rankin herself in a very short time, she poured herself into researching what really helped people stay healthy.
She concluded that the body doesn’t shape how we live our lives but is instead a mirror of how we live our lives. Yes eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising contribute to a person’s physical health. But Dr. Rakin was stunned by research (not always found in medical journals) that made the biggest difference. She discovered physical health is most affected by the following factors:
- A person’s relationships
- Quality of one’s professional life
- Ability to express one’s self creatively
- Having a healthy sex life
- Having a secure financial state
- Being in a healthy environment
- Being mentally healthy
- Being spiritually connected
Spirituality signifies the inner attitude of living life in search of the sacred, a search for meaning in life through something more powerful and bigger than ourselves, it is the way we invite God into our daily lives. One philosopher and writer calls it “the wild joy we humans fall into.” Another core of who we are. It’s a Life with a capital L. It is that part of us that knows infinity. That loves. That longs for connection. That is unsatisfied without purpose and meaning. That is moved by ritual. That is timeless” (A Sacred Primer, 20).
~ By Lucille Zimmerman
