Back to the Wall

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Psalm 116:1

There are those moments in life when God's mercy and goodness is evident. Five years ago, Lori and I went to Israel together. Many of the pictures I've been posting are sites we visited together. One such place was the Western Wall. . .

A tradition at the wall is to leave pieces of paper in the cracks of the wall that bear written prayers. At the time we had no children even though we desparately wanted them. Lori left her prayer deep withing a crack along the wall, somewhere in the tunnel. I dont' need to tell you what her prayer asked for.

Now I certainly don't think the Western Wall has any sort of magical properties. Certainly written prayers placed at this special location do not carry any more weight than those uttered in silence anywhere along the world. Nevertheless, it was a special symbolic action--to leave a prayer in this place regarded as holy--to write something down that we wanted most.

Five years later we have not one, but two sons. As I walked along the wall I could not help but marvel at God's faithfulness and the gentle manner in which he has dealt with us. Certianly there have been painful struggles and trials. But in the end God has given us a family. We are so grateful to Him. In the spirit of Psalm 22: 22, I will declare His name in the congregation I will praise Him and acknowledge His mercies.

So as I walked along the wall today I did so in a spirt of thankfulness, and as I did so I once again left behind a prayer request hidden in the crack of the same ancient wall.