The Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives, is my favorite garden in Israel. Gethsemane is not known for its flowers because it's an olive grove. The photo above shows bougainvillea that grows on the edge of the outside of the garden.
In Matthew 26, we read that Yeshua and his talmidim (disciples) observed Passover in Jerusalem, and then went to this olive grove to pray. Here, we read that He was in such anguish in prayer that His sweat became drops of blood. Here is where He said, "Not my will, but Thine be done." It was here that He was arrested and taken to prison.
I'd read this story many times in my life, and it was humbling to stand in the place where He prayed for me. I was humbled even more, when my eighty-year-old traveling companion, Carmita, knelt and thanked Him for His sacrifice. She's gone to be with her Savior now, and I look forward to seeing her one day. She taught me so much about faith and prayer.
The olive trees here are very old, but none stood when Yeshua knelt in this place. The trees can grow for a hundred years or more, and when they die, another tree emerges from the roots. It teaches me a lesson that true faith never dies. You can learn more about the olive tree in this POST.
On my first trip to Israel in 1996, we were able to walk through the grove and take pictures.
But on my last trip in 2012, there was a fence around the entire grove. We could only take pictures from the walkway.
But, I was thankful to get the photo below, because the word was not there in 1996. This is my favorite photo from the 2012 trip.
Gardens are delightful to me, and I'm sure it's because I find sweet peace and joy when I visit them.
The photo reminds me of my daddy's favorite song, In The Garden. He used to always ask me to play it on the piano for him. I hope you enjoy the song, and I hope you've enjoyed the 31 Days of Garden Tours I've shared with you. Thank you for stopping by, and blessings to you, Gail-Friends.
You may also enjoy my series 31 Days of the Holy Land.
I'm linking up to the 31 Day Blog Event.
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