Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: War and Peace (not about the book) (07/07/11)
-
TITLE: The Promise of Peace | Previous Challenge Entry
By
07/14/11 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
My husband, John, has been battling stage IV colorectal cancer for over two years. Last January he wrote his “To Do” or “Bucket” list. First on the list was the wish to see our children grown, settled with supportive spouses, good careers, and perfect offspring of their own – done. His second wish was to pay off the home mortgage, leaving us completely out of debt – done. The third wish on his list was to travel the world, on that, we needed to get busy.
John and I were going to take the first of many trips abroad just as soon as the latest PET scan showed him clear of cancer. We wanted these excursions to celebrate a victory over this horrible disease. But the doctors found new lesions on his liver even after two rounds of chemotherapy, intense radiation, and many prayers. We decided to travel in spite of the bad news, and instead celebrate the fact that John still had treatment options.
John wavered between a trip to central Italy to meet his mother’s relatives, and a trip to England to discover his father’s heritage. He also considered taking an Alaskan cruise, a relaxing option for someone worn out by chemotherapy, but still loving the great outdoors. I finally insisted he make up his mind within the next few days. I wanted to purchase the airline tickets, make hotel reservations, and secure tours that month, hopefully getting the best deals for summer travel. After a day or two of prayer and meditation, my husband gave me his answer. Whether God had suggested going to the place of His son’s birth, or whether it was a wild impulse, Israel found its way to first place position on John’s bucket list. He decided Israel was where he could find his true roots.
On the one hand, I was thrilled with John’s choice. A trip to the land where Jesus had walked would be fascinating, especially since I had just finished reading the Bible cover to cover for the first time. I couldn’t wait to visit the places I had read about. Because of the battles going on all over the Middle-East, it made good sense to go with a tour group, but at the same time, I worried about John having to keeping pace with others healthier than he.
Summer finally came; all the details had been seen to, and we were off. From the minute we arrived, we were in awe. The Israelis, with God’s help of course, had managed to make the desert bloom! Out of barren, rocky, dry soil these tough people managed to bring forth fabulous fruits and vegetables. At every meal we were offered a vast array of fresh and delicious salads, featuring cucumbers, tomatoes, chick peas, eggplant, watermelon, dates, and the list goes on.
The daily itinerary was interesting, but exhausting, for me as well as John. His last chemo treatment had only been ten days before we left for Tel Aviv. But he was a trooper, keeping up with the group the whole time and only once showing signs of stomach distress. We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee; the area where Jesus walked on the water, fed thousands with only a few fish and loaves of bread, and taught his followers with parables. Into those same sacred waters, my husband vomited his breakfast. Except for that one rough morning, you’d have never guessed he was a man fighting cancer.
Our guide, Meir, brought us to several archeological sites. One dig had unearthed twenty- five layers of civilization; each town destroyed through conquest and then rebuilt again above the rubble. Meir took us to the Holocaust Museum that told stories of incomprehensible horrors against the Jewish people, and to Golan Heights where the offspring of those Jews who survived the Holocaust fought another battle that could only have been won with God’s help.
So many wars, so much suffering, yet as Israel and John demonstrate, people with faith in God can be victorious over all of life’s battles. John and I returned from this remarkable country with a greater understanding of God’s peace, a peace that will comfort each of us through our own personal war.
Acts 10:36 NIV This is the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
