was it worth it?

worth: having value, merit, appeal, significace, attraction, importance, meaning

so, was going to Israel worth it?

was it worth the money, the time, the jet lag, the experience, the packing, the pondering, the etc.?

did it have value, merit, appeal, significace, attraction, importance, meaning?

yes.

absolutely.

the money? i am a person who keeps a tight fist around my money. i budget well. i spend well. i like to think that i give well. i do not blow a few thousand dollars well. heck, i don't even blow $5 well without feeling a bit of buyer's remorse for that silly thing i passed and thought was a good idea at the time and now sits collecting dust. my mom sometimes refers to me as 'the bank of hannaH'. so for me to drop a few thousand dollars on something that lasted 10 days was sort of a big deal.

but having been there and back, i would do it again, maybe not in the same calendar year, but i would drop that money with no regret.

was the time off work and being away from things of familiarity worth it? 110% yes.

the jet lag? it was terrible. but i would do it again tomorrow to see a new place.

the experience? i have learned that all experiences are worth it. not just the feel good ones, even the ones that hurt and leave you with no understanding of why it happened. i believe all things are meant to be and somehow and some way, maybe small, maybe huge, they affect your life. so, yes, although likely more significant than other experiences, this experience was entirely worth it.

the packing, pondering, the etc.?
of course.

but why? why was this trip, at this time, to this place so worth it?

part of me can't put my finger on it and part of me could list 10000 reasons why this trip was worth it.

this week i was reading and working on a Bible study and had a question about the timeline of events, so i called my dad. and as we were talking he said 'you know that tunnel we were in under the wailing wall, that walked on the 1st century street? that is the temple that is referring to.'

this experience made things real. tangible. touchable.

that is why it was worth it.

 sunrise over Jerusalem

the last morning before parting ways