Harvest 2011, Shiloh revelation

Our trip to Israel this fall was one that G-d used to change and solidify many things in my life. I don’t know how I’m going to get it all down in writing, but I’ll give it a shot. It might be that you are struggling with some of the same things that I was, and it is my prayer that HaShem may use this to help you too.

We went to Israel with HaYovel to help the farmers in Judea and the Shomron (Samaria), the area some people refer to as the “West Bank”. I’ll write about that later. We brought in 304 tons grapes for a number of wineries, helped harvest olives and pomegranates, worked on the Archeological dig in Shiloh, and did some touring. We actually lived in an Orthodox Jewish community in the Shomron for 2 months. It was so good.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always known that G-d is real, He works in real ways and helps real people. He is the G-d of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the G-d who made covenants with His people who He redeemed. I could see the things that He has done for His people. I could keep going, but you get the point. But even though I knew this, I still didn’t feel it. Sometimes, the enemy got a foothold and I struggled with “Is this really real?”. Doubt. Fear. Unloving. All that ick. 3 days after we arrived in Israel, the group toured Shiloh, specifically the site where the Tabernacle stood for 369 years. We were given time to pray and seek HaShem. I has been praying “Father please, show me that you love me, in a way that I’ll know that I know that I know. I know that you’re there, but I’m struggling and I need you to show me.” There I felt His presence. It was real. It was almost as if He was saying “I love you, my daughter. I am here.” That was all I needed. That doubt, fear, unloving, all of that just fled away! I know He is there, He is real, I am His. And I feel it. It’s not just that I know it, because I’ve always known it. It’s that need people seem to have to now just know it in their head, but to feel it and know it with every fiber of their being. That was me, that is me. I asked and HaShem granted that, revelation I guess you could call it.

That was really just the beginning of what happened there. I’m going to keep writing about our journey there, so much happened in those 2 months we were there! It may take a little while though, so please be patient. I will put my experiences to writing as they come up.