This post is the fourth of five that focus on daily inspirations experienced during my recent visit to Israel.
I first visited Israel 10 years ago, in 2008; it was exhilarating. Being able to see and walk in places about which I had only read broadened my understanding of and the events that occurred in the places.
One such place was the Dead Sea area.
We hit some of the highlights, including Jericho (slightly outside of the Dead Sea area), Qumran – where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, Masada, En Gedi, and of course – floating in the Dead Sea, or – as in my case – standing. It was a great day.
And it was hot. Scorching hot – perhaps close to 100°F, if not hotter; the heat index was certainly beyond 100°F. It was the desert in September, so it was supposed to be hot, right? Right. As exciting as it was to visit the Dead Sea area, going in and out of the hot, full-bright sun with limited shade was draining. You know how it is when it’s hot outside. Thank goodness umbrellas abounded, the tour company provided hats and water, and there was air-conditioning on the coach.
Fast forward to 2011. Another visit just as exhilarating as the first. And again, we went to the same places in the Dead Sea area. It was also a great day. And again, it was scorching hot – practically an exact repeat of the first visit, give or take a few degrees. But this was March. Why was it so hot? Oh…it was still the desert.
Prior to leaving for the 2018 visit, my Mother contacted me to give me the tentative itinerary. As I read over the itinerary and saw The Dead Sea Area, well, I began to suggest that we skip that part. “It’s hot there…I’ve already seen it twice…there’s nothing there…tell her we don’t want to go.” Whatever excuse I was able to give, I gave it.
Did you notice that the first thing that I wrote in my list of excuses was It’s hot there? Yes, I wanted to avoid the heat above everything else. I hadn’t realized a slight attitude had formed in my mind regarding that area.
My Mother provided several key counters to my excuses, one being that the other two individuals traveling with us had not seen the area and it was worth a visit for them. I said, “They won’t know what they missed if they never see it!” I was being completely selfish. Sometimes it’s simply not about us. Notwithstanding, she kept the Dead Sea visit on the itinerary and took a wait and see approach.
I determined they were not going to see me in the Dead Sea area.
We had been in Israel for several days as the day approached to visit the Dead Sea area. I kept saying to myself (and maybe to others) that I was going to stay back and relax. BUT – the day arrived and I decided to go with them.
It was a cool, rainy day in the Galilee, so much so we needed to wear our jackets. In my mind, however, this did not mean anything because we were about to travel to the lowest point on earth, as well as the desert that, in my past two experiences, had been scorching hot.
The views along the way to the Dead Sea area did not disappoint. It rained most of our 2 ½ hour journey, with a mixture of sunlight breaking through the clouds. We searched and searched for a rainbow as the conditions were perfect for such. Most of the terrain on that particular stretch of road was desert.
The rain stopped as we arrived in the Dead Sea area. In fact, it had not rained in the area at all. Yet an unexpected thing happened. As we exited the van at Masada, the weather was still cool enough for us to initially wear our jackets. Cool, in the desert? Relatively around the same time of year I last visited the area?
My attitude…my perspective was shifting. It’s the small attitude shifts in life that make such a difference at times – both positively and negatively.
Although I had been in the area before, some things had changed. For instance, the Dead Sea is quickly evaporating and had significantly receded since my first and second visits; the change was clearly evident driving along side of the sea and from the top of Masada.
Speaking of Masada – I saw and experienced new things, either because items were newly excavated, were not present the first time, or I was distracted by the heat or other matters the first two times. We arrived early, so there was a light crowd yet still an array of different cultures and nationalities. That, within itself, was energizing as I simply love to experience various people and cultures.
And our travel companions? Masada was on the top of their list of places to see because they had participated in a study about the history of the ancient fortress. Merely walking through Masada (and the other places) with them as what they had studied came to life was worth the trip.
The experiences at En Gedi and Qumran were just as lovely. We opted not to float (or stand in my case) in the Dead Sea and headed home. The weather throughout our visit remained mostly in the 70s (Fahrenheit). It was a perfect day.
The rain returned as we left the Dead Sea area and I became lost in my thoughts while peering at great scenery once again. I almost missed the wonderful day and the many joys (too many to share) because my past experiences with the heat in the area clouded my perspective. Thankfully, I had a change of heart.
I wondered how many other opportunities I may have missed in life because my judgement was clouded by a past experience. How many times had I forgone a chance at trying something new because it required me to return to a familiar place and there was seemingly nothing more for me to gain or I concluded that the outcome was going to be the same as in past experiences?
Perspective (attitude) matters and influences everything that we do. Sometimes it is necessary to return to a place, a person, a situation, a hurt so that the negative attitude about such may be altered and changed by creating a new experience; a new perspective. No, I am not talking about returning to places, persons, situations, or hurts that have caused harm, damage, are dangerous, or took everything within us to leave. Yet perhaps it’s a matter of returning to those places mentally, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically to forgive and heal so that we don’t miss the small joys waiting to be had, or the major opportunities waiting to be seized on the other side of that bad experience – even if the opportunity is peace of mind.
As a result of the most recent Dead Sea area experience, instead of relying on old excuses and rationales, I am more open and willing to try new things, including revisiting seemingly familiar places (whether literally or figuratively) to alter my misconceptions. In fact, I have already started and it has been outstanding; I may share about this one day.
Daily inspirations sometimes occur in the most unexpected ways. Next week I will share my fifth and final post about my time in Israel entitled Dreams Do Come True, which will highlight the property where I stayed, and an inspiration I experienced simply by opening the window shades.
Reflections from the Heart 
Leave a comment