Thank God for Safe Arrival

Well, it's 3:45 a.m. Jerusalem time, and my internal clock is really messed up.  It's still on Indiana time, where it's now 8:45 p.m.  So a few minutes ago I left my roommate snoring loudly in his bed and sneaked down to the internet lounge at the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem where we checked in last night around 6 p.m. local time.

There are 18 of us in the Educational Opportunities "gold group" and about 15 others in the "blue group" all staying here at the Olive Tree.  Apparently we all came over on the same Delta flight out of JFK International Airport, though I didn't know that until we all arrived at Tel Aviv International.  It was a decent flight over, with only a couple pockets of turbulence, one of which we encountered while I was in the lavatory at the rear of the plane.  I'll not comment any more about that. 

It was about a one-hour bus trip from Tel Aviv, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, to the hotel in Jerusalem.  During most of that short trip our tour guide, Lillian(?), talked most of the time, but I didn't hear all of what she said, because I kept nodding off.  After getting one an hour of sleep on the trans-Atlantic flight, I just couldn't keep my eyes open.

Anyway, I'm thankful that we got here safely.  Unfortunately, my roommate's luggage didn't arrive when he did, so he's hoping it shows up today, because all he has is the jeans and shirt he wore on the way here.  I'd loan him some of my clothes, but he's about 6'3" and 250 lbs., so I don't think that's going to work very well.

[10 minutes later]

Hmm... I was just about close this post by saying, "That's all for now," when a woman came in to the internet lounge--unable to sleep like me--and began ranting about how she had come here expecting to "find God" in Jerusalem, but how (after less than a day here) she hadn't seen "a manifestation of the Holy Spirit anywhere."  Then she looked at me and blurted out, "I thought this was supposed to be the holy city, and here it ain't nothin' but another plain old city!  I'm so disappointed."

I asked her name, then said, "You know, God says if we look for him, we'll find him.  Maybe you need to look for him in some different ways and in different places.  Maybe you'll find him in somebody who needs a listening ear or a little bit of help.  Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 25--'As much as you did it to the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me'?  I believe you'll find him here, just as you will anyplace else, if you're open to seeing him in places you hadn't expected."

"Well, I hope you're right," she said, "because I just can't believe how disappointing this is!"

Then she left, mumbling all the way.  I guess that's my cue to head back to my room and see if I can get more sleep, since in a few hours we'll be back on the bus, headed for the Mount of Olives, Bethlehem, and the Dead Sea.

You know... I sure hope I am right in what I told that lady.