As I sat in church this morning back home in Washington, my heart nearly shattered as I stared at the brick wall behind the speaker instead of this glorious view I enjoyed for the last 3 1/2 months.
We sang the same hymns that I had just sung at the Sea of Galilee not three weeks earlier, and the phrase "walk the path that thou hast shown" felt like someone was squeezing my insides, because I suddenly realized I wouldn't be able to walk in the Savior's physical footsteps anymore. I wouldn't be able to go visit the Garden of Gethsemane after church.
The sacrament bread wasn't pita. It was just bread.
The speaker talked about David, that great king of Jerusalem. I thought of his palace I just went to a few weeks ago for the third time this summer. Then she talked about Peter.
I was just at Peter's house.
It took everything I had to not break down in tears over and over again, and I couldn't even describe why. In desperation, I opened my Bible and looked at the pictures and maps in the back. I found Jerusalem. It was nothing like the real thing, but it was the only consolation I had.
In Sunday school, we read the verses in the Acts about Paul having a dream in Troas about a Macedonian man pleading for his help. Not three months ago, I stood in Troas, reading this same verse as I looked over to Macedonia. They read the passages like they were nothing, and my heart simply ached because they didn't understand. I wanted to stand up and scream,"No, wait. You missed it," but there was nothing I could say. They couldn't understand.
It wasn't their fault.
Church was hard today. It took me by surprise and with more impact than I was ready to handle. I knew Jerusalem had changed me, but I didn't realize how much. I'm sure this is only the beginning in a long line of these experiences, but at least I have 79 other students to go through it with me.
I came home and stared at these pictures for awhile, and then I felt better. Although I'm not there anymore, my city still is. My beautiful, magical city. My Jerusalem Center experience didn't end when I got on that plane to come home. In fact, I think it's only the beginning.
Jerusalem Time Lapse: A City of Many Colors
5:06 a.m.
5:26 a.m.
5:33 a.m.
5:48 a.m.
6:12 a.m.
6:16 a.m.
6:42 a.m.
9:41 a.m.
12:43 p.m.
4:10 p.m.
7:01 p.m.
7:28 p.m.
7:35 p.m.
7:42 p.m.
7:50 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
8:12 p.m.
And this is what I look like when I wake up at 4:45 a.m. the day of finals to take pictures. This is quite possibly the best self-portrait ever.
These are beautiful!!!! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete