We boarded the buses bright and early and headed to the Kidron Valley and the Garden of Gethsemane. I found it to be a little odd that it was a quiet and secured area not far from the busy street. We first went in the south side where it is believed the actual spot was where Jesus Christ gave His greatest prayer. It was silent and reverent as each person walked slowly in a line along the path of the gardens. On the farthest south side is a beautiful church that the Catholics have built and maintained for years. No hats were worn, no speaking, just complete reverent silence.
Leaving our hotel for the day
It was a beautiful morning
This sentiment was expressed often by our Jewish guide and our Jewish bus driver. It's certainly been added to my prayers
This is the rock that is claimed that the Savior was kneeling on while praying.
Of course I had to touch it
The beautiful church
We then walked back through the gardens and across the street to an area of the garden where we could sit and be taught. After Michael's insightful devotional, we sang as a group "I stand all Amazed" and then we took some free time to walk around the gardens, maybe sit and be with your thoughts, whatever you felt like you wanted to do.
Michael speaking
wander, ponder
The gardens are beautiful. Simple, quiet, unassumingly beautiful. I know I didn't talk because not only did I not feel like it, but I was thinking of the Atonement and how I gained such new insight. Besides, everyone really was in their own thoughts and it would have been distracting. Many of us were shedding silent tears.
Michael shared an experience that he had when his sons were young. He had been taught how to fish by his father and one time he had seen a fish hook get caught in a man's hand. He was young enough that it pretty much traumatized him. He was convinced that would be the worst pain anyone could ever experience. Just thinking about it, made him cringe. It was horrible in his mind. As his boys were young and he was teaching them how to fish, he was overly cautious about the fish hooks. He just couldn't imagine anything worse that seeing one of his boys with a fish hook in his hand. One fishing trip, things were going along, and there was some struggles, and wham. A fish hook in a hand. HIS hand. His nightmare had come true. But all he could think about at the time, was that he would much rather have the hook stuck in HIS hand, than one of his sons. He was grateful that he was experiencing the pain and not one of his boys.
He likened that to the Savior's atoning sacrifice for us. The pain and agony of paying for all mankind's sins, trials, depressions, sickness, suffering, mistakes that all will, at some time, experience in their lives is unfathomable. We have no context to put it into, but Jesus loved each one of us so much that He would rather take that on and experience those things so He would be the one person we could turn to for relief and encouragement who could perfectly understand. He went through those trials during the atonement, so He would know how to succor us. He atoned for all the mistakes and sins that every person does because He loves us so much, He would rather take it on than see us suffer eternal consequences. Like a father is glad a hook is in his hand, the Savior would rather take those things upon Himself.
He loves us so much. He has such an immense amount of love for every single person, and that it is the underlying reason for forgiveness. Think about those you love, your children, your grandchildren, your spouse. You love them more than anyone else on earth. They are the easiest to forgive BECAUSE of that love. You might still feel disappointed, and I'm sure the Savior and our Heavenly Father also feel that, but because Their love transcends everything, they put a plan into place that we could rectify any mistakes and the Savior saw it through.
These were the thoughts in my head as we wandered and pondered. For me, it was another experience in feeling an overwhelming outpouring of love towards me. Not just all mankind in general, but very personally, me. He knows what my life has been like. He knows what struggles I have had and continue to have. He knows when I have doubts and questions and lack in faith, and yet, He loves me.
It was certainly a life changing experience for me. Both of my testimony of the Atonement, and the reality of what happened and the knowledge that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ loves me beyond measure.
And for sure, I will never be able to sing "I stand all Amazed" again and not be transported back to a quiet garden off a busy street and the assurance, knowledge and testimony that I received there.
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