Being a Blessing = Receiving a Blessing

I want to go back to our time in the public park, where we were hoping to be a blessing to the Israeli people.  Have you every given yourself over to serve another in hope of being a blessing?  Only to realize later that you had been blessed even more? 

That was the expeirence in the park.  A Jewish woman, wanting to bless us.  She was offering to us a blessing because with love and patience we were telling her we believe the messiah had come, and His name is Yeshua.  We were in the park that night to be a blessing to the people of Israel, by singing their Psalms, serve them refreshments, and pray for their needs.  Most the people we met were thankful, even if they did not accept our testimony of Yeshua being their messiah.

However, one particular Israeli women really began to question who we were, and why we were doing this service.  She questioned our motive, and closely listened to our beliefs.  We spoke of how we believed Israel is God's chosen people, how we love, and pray for Israel.  We shared we loved the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and were following her God through faith in Yeshua.  We told her we wanted all Israel to see that Yeshua is still their messiah.

Throughout the conversation she reacted somewhat skeptically, and would counter our statements with her doubts.  Now, she was never rude, or mean, just firm.  Yet, I thought it strange that she did not disengage from the conversation, but kept asking us more of our beliefs.

When it seemed as though the visit may be waining down, I asked her if there was one thing I could lift up in prayer.  At first she gave a general, "pray for peace" response, but I pressed her for something personal.  Something just for her. 

She stood there and just smiled, so I said, "You believe God answers prayer don't you? You believe God will help us when we pray? Surely you have something we should pray about? Or do you not pray at all?"

For a moment, she stood looking at us, then, with a big smile said, "I have to be honest with you,  I'm Messianic."  Messianic is a common term for a Jew who believes Jesus is the messiah.  Instantly the conversation became joyous, as if we had just been reunited with a long lost relative.  She apologized for not telling us sooner, but went on to explain that she has suffered persecution, and continues to live in fear of the reprisals if her superiors find that she believes in Yeshua.

Space here will not allow me to go on, but she looked at us before we parted, and said, "I want to give to both of you a blessing.  I want to bless you for what you are doing, and how you are doing it.  We Israelis can be as the sabra, hard on the outside, but soft on the inside.  So don't give up on us.  Keep sharing Yeshua in such a way that it makes us Israelis jealous."  Romans 11:11

(The posted pics are of the sabra fruit and Israelis)