Shabbat

Last night was the Jewish Sabbath. It's a time when Jews from all over Jerusalem abandon all things secular, walk to the Western Wall, and give thanks in prayer to God.

I felt incredibly blessed to behold such an occasion: Jewish men and women dancing in circles, singing Psalms of gratitude and love, swaying back and forth as they turned their hearts and minds toward heaven--and smiling all the while.

At the Wall, men and women are separated from each other--guys on one half, girls on the other. This intrigued me at first, but after last night I felt a sense of gratitude for it. As I walked into the large crowd of women standing or sitting as they gave their prayers to the Wall, I couldn't help but look at the beautiful people around me. There were women of all types of cultures (American, Argentinian, European, etc.), all kinds of faces, all walks of life. As I stood in circles with these women, dancing around and singing Pslams, I couldn't help but feel like we were all sisters, women of the same God. The hymn "Sisters in Zion" instantly penetrated my heart and never before has its message felt so true. These women are good. These women are strong. These women are just like me. They dress their best for the Sabbath; they stand in small circles with their girlfriends and chatter-chatter about all things girly; they sing; they dance; they pray. And most importantly, they strive to live a righteous life as a symbol of their love for God.

God loves ALL his daughters (and holy cow. . . .there are a lot of them!). Isn't that amazing? I hope as my time in Jerusalem continues my heart will open up so I can embrace all that Heavenly Father has available for me in this experience. I want to love the people. I want to love the land. I want to love my fellow students. Do you think that's possible? I sure hope so!

Shalom! and Happy Shabbot!

I apologize for the lack of visuals. Unfortunately, we aren't permitted to take pictures at special religious occasions. 

As sisters in Zion, we'll all pull together,
The blessings of God on our labors we'll seek:
We'll build up His kingdom with earnest endeavor;
We'll comfort the weary, and strengthen the weak.