Shalom to Chaos
A life-changing teaching we received in Israel was summed up in three words:
Shalom to Chaos
As we hiked for hours on end through hot hot hot desert in the heat of the day the group really began to grumble, complain...all out shout their frustrations and then just when we all felt we couldn't take anymore heat, anymore climbing or anymore desert we came upon this natural spring (En-Gedi National Park) with a waterfall pouring into it. We all jumped in, clothes, hiking shoes, hats & sunglasses! It just felt so incredibly refreshing I'll never forget it.
Then the teaching came - a lesson I'll never forget & I've thought of so much since that trip. Ray's faith lesson in this spot was about being a bringer of shalom to chaos. In the chaos that life can bring to a person - death, divorce, fire, job-loss, health problems, bad news, depression...the list goes on...people seek shalom (peace). Ray's teaching was to encourage us that in the way that the cool water felt so good after being so hot - that was a picture of how bringing shalom to the chaos of someone's life might feel. (Rabbinic style of teaching - DO the lesson! Love it!)
It's so easy to get caught up in my chaos, my trouble, what about me, what about how I feel?
That's how I felt today and God reminded me,
"I'll be your shalom...now go and be shalom to the chaos in someone's life in return!"
Us with Ray. We got so wrapped in the moment this was the only picture we took!
Shalom to Chaos
As we hiked for hours on end through hot hot hot desert in the heat of the day the group really began to grumble, complain...all out shout their frustrations and then just when we all felt we couldn't take anymore heat, anymore climbing or anymore desert we came upon this natural spring (En-Gedi National Park) with a waterfall pouring into it. We all jumped in, clothes, hiking shoes, hats & sunglasses! It just felt so incredibly refreshing I'll never forget it.
Then the teaching came - a lesson I'll never forget & I've thought of so much since that trip. Ray's faith lesson in this spot was about being a bringer of shalom to chaos. In the chaos that life can bring to a person - death, divorce, fire, job-loss, health problems, bad news, depression...the list goes on...people seek shalom (peace). Ray's teaching was to encourage us that in the way that the cool water felt so good after being so hot - that was a picture of how bringing shalom to the chaos of someone's life might feel. (Rabbinic style of teaching - DO the lesson! Love it!)
It's so easy to get caught up in my chaos, my trouble, what about me, what about how I feel?
That's how I felt today and God reminded me,
"I'll be your shalom...now go and be shalom to the chaos in someone's life in return!"
Us with Ray. We got so wrapped in the moment this was the only picture we took!
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