During a visit to the Holy Land, my family and I were staying at the Magdala Center on the Sea of Galilee. Across the highway from the center were hills and valleys, and cave dwellings on top of one of the mountains. It was shared that these were the exact hills and valleys Jesus would hike, take time away from the crowds, and sit in these caves to pray. 

I wanted to hike these mountains and get to the top where Jesus prayed. I was yearning to hike during sunrise and reach the dwellings. My then 22-year-old son said, “Mom, I will hike the hills with you early tomorrow morning.” I was so excited I could barely sleep! 

The next morning, we awoke at 4 am with our backpack of water, snacks, and a flashlight. We had minimal directions, but we were confident as we headed towards the hiking trail. As we approached the base of the mountain, my son suggested we turn right and wind around the back of the mountain to reach the top. I thought we should go left and follow the path we saw ahead.

Our goal was to reach the top for sunrise, which was 1.5 hours away, and my path looked shorter. We took my suggestion and began climbing. We continued to climb past cows, goats, and a few hogs. It was a rugged and rough path. We got to the top of the mountain just as the sun was beginning to rise; however, the route I suggested brought us to the base of the cave dwelling, with a sheer rock cliff in front of it that was impassable. We realized we had taken the “cow path” and not the walking trail. We could see the walking trail came from the back side of the mountain, leading to the cave opening—we couldn’t reach it on the path I recommended.

I was so disappointed. I felt like I let my son down. He said, “It’s OK mom.” We hiked back down, and I could see he was quietly praying. We stopped a few moments later to gaze at the sunrise, and my son looked at me and said, “I think that God had a bigger reason for this to happen. It wasn’t about reaching the top. It was about me learning to listen to God within my own heart and trusting it. I no longer need to rely on my mom for discernment. I have my own relationship with God, and I need to trust in it. I need to follow my own path.” He said this with such loving confidence as a 22-year-old young man should. 

As he turned back around to continue down the path, I began to cry in silence. I was no longer needed in that role, and as beautiful as it is, it still hurts. In my heart, I know that God is always first. At that moment, during our hike, my son was able to recognize that God is first in his life. As a mother, both JOY and SADNESS came over me.

—Amy D’Ambra MSMH Founder/Co-Owner

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