PEACE AND QUIET?

November 1, 2023

Most people seem to seek peace and quiet most of their adult lives.  I have not had a lot of peace and quiet, probably because I am always looking for a new project or compiling a list of my next several challenges. I’ve never learned or understood how to enjoy peace and quiet.

I recently spent seven days in Israel. This was my second trip to the Holy Land. After my first trip I promised myself, that with God’s favor, I would one day return. On this trip I planned to seek peace and quiet, listen to my boss up above and learn more about places I have read or heard about my entire life. What I hadn’t planned on was Israel being attacked with a reported 2,500 missiles fired on the country the first morning I was there.

I was asleep at the InterContinental David Hotel in Tel Aviv when I woke up to sirens and explosions. I made several trips to the security room (bomb shelter) at the hotel. My very attentive security advisor back home arranged for former Israeli Special Operations personnel to “chaperon” me and monitor my travels but unfortunately, due to the declared war, my “handlers” were called back to serve their country, which I fully respect.

Even though I was very close to mean spirited and hateful activities, I was at peace the entire time I was in Israel.  Several years ago, I went to Afghanistan alone and I was more concerned about making it home then than I was on this trip. My major concern in Israel was that my hotel might run out of Bacardi and diet Coke.

There were a lot of unplanned blessings from being in Israel at the time I was there.  I got to experience the beauty of being pretty much alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, where I enjoyed some real inner self peace and quiet!   I met and talked to a lot of unique people at my hotel. I met a lady from North Carolina who was working as an Executive Assistant for a man who lives in Israel. She shared with me how proud she was to live in the United States, where we don’t have to deal with such attacks. I was blessed to encounter a waitress who was clearly a “cut above” the rest. She frequently and quickly checked on her customers, was extremely attentive and just felt like the sort of person you would like to be around. As I paid my check, I told her my observations and learned she was from Ukraine. My heart went out to her and her country for all their pain and suffering. I met several other workers and they too shared with me their goals and appreciated me wanting to learn about them. It was a little sad on the day that I departed. There was “mutual respect” between my new friends and I.

My original plan was to tour with nineteen other people from my church, but due to the war they did not make it into the country.  They might think they were lucky not to be in Israel with a war going on but I disagree; I had an enjoyable trip.

The most important aspect of my trip was to meet with my boss in the right setting to try to get a “performance review.” I tell myself that I am trying to make sure that I am doing “thy will” not my will. Knowing I sometimes fall short I wanted to spend some time simply listening to what the big guy might want me to do. I pray that I one day hear these words when I get the ultimate performance review:

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25.21 (King James Bible)

Regardless of whether I ever find my peace and quiet, I know that if I follow what is deep in my heart, with a focus on service to God, Country and Family, it will be hard for me to go wrong. My heart tells me that King Aerospace will be making a difference for generations to come, by the grace of God. This helps me find my peace and quiet, even in a war zone bomb shelter. Thanks be to God from whom all blessings flow!

PS: If you read this, know I specifically included you and your  family in  my prayers. 

Written by KING AEROSPACE Founder, Jerry Allan King-Echevarria.