Our Final Galilee

This weekend our family spent a couple nights in Galilee in what was our final getaway during our time here in Jerusalem. We stayed in a nice place that had huge grass lawns that the boys enjoyed by running on them tirelessly for hours (this is a big treat for Southern California/ Jerusalem city boys). We swam in the lake and pools and were reminded why Jesus spent his time in this region. The weather was perfect, the pace was great, and we even had some nice Arabic food one evening and some great fish on the Sea of Galilee. We drove through the Golan Heights along the borders of Lebanon and Syria and discovered my new favorite site in Israel, Banias (Biblical Caesarea Philipi). All in all we relaxed, the boys had fun, and we even found some time to sit in quiet and think, read, and pray. I actually got up at 5:30AM thanks to our 11 month old alarm clock and was able to walk by the beach during sunrise. (If you have been to Hawaii or a humid place like the Midwest or South in the summer you will know the nice warm mornings that are still and peaceful but warm enough to enjoy the early hour).

As we drove away we were struck with the thought that soon we will no longer be able to hop in a car (rental car) and drive less than two hours to see the towns that Jesus lived in. We will not be able to walk among ruins of cities that are described in the Bible. We will not drive 20 minutes to the border of Jordan, take a short flight to Europe, Africa, or other parts of Asia. We will not be able to stop and by fruit directly from Palestinian farmers from the West Bank or live in a world where followers of Jesus are still rare and threatened. As our end date approaches we begin to see all that we love about this place (even in light of the last post) and we work to enjoy each moment. It is just that some places like Galilee are easier to enjoy than others.