En-Gedi

Today, our Rabbis (Jeff & Bart) had a surprise for us. 

Yesterday, we spent the day hiking through the desert, learning about the desert experience. Our closing scripture of the day was Psalm 81:16 - "With honey from the rock, I will satisfy you." 

In all of our lives, we encounter rocks, some as small as pebbles, some as big as mountains. Our promise from God is that He will satisfy us with honey from the rock. In the midst of our desert experience, He will bring us honey, a sweet moment in that hard place.

We expanded on this thought today, when we visited En-Gedi. Jeff taught us about David's experience in En-Gedi, when he was fleeing from Saul, who was trying to kill him. When he retreated to the wilderness, this was most likely the place he went to. It is a place in the desert, by the dead sea, that is a refuge, a place of refreshment and rest.

Our surprise was, after he taught us about En-Gedi, our Rabbi Bart jumped in the natural pool we had been sitting around, and encouraged us to join him in experiencing the joy of En-Gedi. Below is a picture of Dianne, one of the women on the trip who happened to capture the essence of what En-Gedi is. The joy and happiness that is unexpected in the middle of the wilderness of the desert, but essential. We all need a place, activity, person, something that is our En-Gedi, our place where we can go to refresh, rejuvenate, and renew.

Where is your En-Gedi?