September 6, 2013: My Personal Journal Entry: God says, "You shall not make molden images."

Good morning LORD. Today, we all headed for the beach, Travis, our new friends from Australia and I. The drive was smooth and easy. Along the way, we laughed over how differently we eat our hamburgers and cook on the “barbie.” The husband shared with me how it was odd that we eat our onions raw.

Soon, we arrived at our destination where we found a “Welcome to Venice Beach” sign waiting to greet us. You could see the excitement of our companions growing as we began to stroll down the world famous boardwalk. However, inside of me, uneasiness arose. Vendor table after table were filled with disturbing paper Mache idols including many sculptures of Jesus and Mary.

As I walked along, I quietly prayed a consistent prayer to You, "I'm sorry God. This must hurt You." I prayed. At one point, Travis grabbed my hand and pulled me near. I stopped and bent down as he whispered in my ear, "Mom, I feel like turning over these tables. Now I know how Jesus must have felt walking in the Temple." All I could say was, "I know Son. Me too!" Yet, I knew we were there for a reason. So, we continued to stroll along peacefully and silently.

It didn’t take long before You gently reminded me that You were there by our side. As we approached the following table, I noticed that a man was still setting up his display. He was selling papyrus paper from Egypt. I approached the man and asked if I could hold a piece of the paper. The man agreed. Carefully, I ran my fingers down one side. I thought to myself, "Your Mighty Word was written on this very same paper once. Immediately, Scripture came to mind.  “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 KJV. And as the words flowed through me, the sun suddenly began to shine through the clouds and landed to where we stood.

Now smiling, we continued on our walk. And before we could reach the next table, I heard the name of my Savior being sung out loud. I turned my head toward the music and listened more carefully. A reggae artist sang, "My Precious Jesus.” I smiled. Then, I approached the man behind the table and asked if he was a believer. He said, "Yes."

Filled with joy, I tried my best to explain the moment to our companions. They remained graciously silent. At the end of the boardwalk, Travis asked if he could put his feet in the ocean water, allowing me an opportunity to share my personal story with our guests. Shortly after, we returned to our car with sunburned faces and dehydrated bodies. During the drive home, we all remained silent.

Once back at the park, I dropped the couple off at their borrowed trailer. As the woman exited the car, I offered her a copy of my personal testimony. In return, she shared her deepest longing with me. I promised to pray for God to heal a broken relationship in her life if only she’d promise to believe that You are real and that You care for her. She promised.