In Training

In just six more weeks I will once again travel to Israel. I am getting so excited as the time draws near. As I anticipate the trip, I'm trying to get ready. Part of the preparation is physical. Last time we were there we walked about 60 miles! Since that is far beyond what I normally do in a two-week period, I'm "in training". Doing a lot of walking to get ready.

The area where I live in many ways replicates what I'll experience when I get to Israel. Uneven terrain. Lots of hills. So, when the weather permits, I'm doing my training outdoors, right here in my own driveway.

I began by walking up and down the driveway, increasing the repetitions each week.

Then I added this road above our house.

 

So far I've made it halfway up and back, just beyond the curve in the road that you see there. I'm pretty impressed with myself that I've managed this, with a fused ankle and a bum knee! By the end of the week I'm hoping to make it to the top of this hill.  When that happens, I'll be sure to take another photo!

After that, I'll be adding this hill to the regimen:

 

Some days I don't mind the walking. But some days it's drudgery. Some days it's hard. And some days it hurts! However, when I get to Israel, I'll be very glad I disciplined myself to do all this walking. When I'm at Masada. Or Jericho. Or Meggido. Or on the Mount of Olives. Or walking through the Old City. On those days, I'll be very glad indeed!

But physical training isn't the only preparation for a trip like this. This will be, after all, a spiritual pilgrimage. So I'm reading all the materials supplied by our pastor and our tour company. I'm spending time in the Gospels reading about the events that took place at some of the places we'll visit, and I'm praying for our trip and for the group of people we'll be traveling with.

It's all part of getting ready to visit the land of the Bible. Certainly for a person who's as physically out of shape as I am, the physical training is an important part of the preparation. But I've learned from my previous journeys to Israel that physical preparation is not all that's needed. Spiritual preparation is equally important, perhaps even more important.

Because traveling to Israel is much more than just sight-seeing. It's much more than just a vacation. It's not just about the land of the Bible, but about a fresh encounter with the One who walked there.

"Train yourself for godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life, but also for the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:7b-8 ESV)