Day 24

Day 24: Bethsaida Dig (Day 8), Mr. Arbel

Hey everyone!

Dang… I really hate it when I’m wrong. It’s not the being wrong part that bothers me; it’s the having to admit to other people I was wrong that bothers me. Maybe it is male ego. Maybe it is just my family heritage. Either way, it is pure pride and I need to suck it up and get over it.

Have you ever totally pegged somebody wrong? I mean, you look at them and based on your initial encounters with them you start to judge them one way, only to realize that after you get to know them better you find out you are totally wrong about them?

That’s how it was with Lloyd (if you remember me talking about him on Day 16). I totally got him as a know-it-all and usurper of authority, and in some ways I was right, but that one viewpoint totally wrecked my whole interpretation of him as a whole.

Ya know, you should never do that. Don’t be like me and just judge a person based on a few things you know about them, even if they did rub you the wrong way. People are complex and intricate; not everyone is as static and unchanging as movies would have them be.

Today, in the evening, we hiked Mount Arbel. This place was pretty historical, located very close to Bethsaida. In fact, at the top of Arbel, we could see Gamla, Chorizim, and Bethsaida over the sea Sea of Galilee. I was so blown away by the view and was so glad we went.

Not everyone attended the hike. Actually, only about six of us attended with Lloyd as our guide. The small group turned out to be great because we all stayed close together and moved pretty fast up the mountain because we didn't have to wait on anyone. What was really nice was the breaks along the way where Lloyd would stop and describe some history about the mountain and the people who had been there.

This is where I really started getting convicted. Lloyd was so knowledgeable, and a great teacher. He may have been over zealous, but he was very aware of us and how we were doing along the hike. He would tell us where to look and would take us places off the path to show us something interesting. Besides our guide in Egypt, Lloyd probably had to be the best guide we have had so far.

The best part of the trek was on the way back down. We actually rock climbed for a little bit, suspended on the side of the cliff going from ledge to ledge trying not to fall twenty plus feet to our deaths. All in all, it was invigorating and I was so thrilled. Lloyd proved to be totally not the person I originally judged him to be. At the end of the day, I learned more than I expected to learn. Go figure.

Following His Call,
Adam
Matthew 7:1