When we toured Jerusalem, we decided to swim in the Dead Sea because its saltiness enables you to float easily. Our passports stayed behind in our VrBO’s home since we planned to swim. The non-Jewish taxi driver agreed to take us to see Masada, first, then the Dead Sea. A scaredy-cat from birth, I felt a little nervous totally trusting our driver. On the long drive there, I read in Genesis. Verse 28:15 caught my attention. “I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go.”
It seemed God was reassuring me that he would take care of us. Good, I could relax. Our driver did fine until we finished sightseeing and headed back to Jerusalem.
The taxi turned off the road and traveled toward Jericho. We strongly insisted several times that we did not want to leave Isreal and go into the West Bank because we didn’t have our passports. From our experience Isreal had been strict about people entering their country without proper documents. Isreal and Palestine have been in conflict for decades. Our driver argued that he could take us to see Jericho (which is in the West Bank) and took us across the check point border exactly where we did not want to go.
I would have been very frightened if God hadn’t prepared me that morning. The verse came to mind, and I realized God didn’t want me to worry or be afraid. What a compassionate, kind God!
Obviously to benefit his uncle, the taxi driver took us first to his uncle’s restaurant. It had good food. But what we would do if Isreal wouldn’t let us reenter their country. After dinner because of our demands, our taxi driver drove us straight back to Jerusalem. The check point agents just waved us through without requiring us to stop! We thought, “Must be the driver and the border agents have some kind of agreement.”
That’s not me in the photo. As I wrote this, research showed me that the shortest way to drive to Masada is through the West Bank. The taxi driver must have known that but didn’t inform us and chose to go that way. I guess we didn’t need our passports. But still, he took us where we didn’t want to go.
No matter what, God knew I would’ve been terrified if he didn’t reassure me.
Theresa Wise Author 