As you walk into Kay’s Cafe today, make sure to get your coffee to go, because we are hopping on a train and headed to Haifa, a city in the North of Israel!
As I sit on a bench near the Mediterranean Sea in Haifa and write this, I hear and see the beauty of the waves crashing in. The wind is blowing over the water and the sun is peering through the clouds. It’s simply a gorgeous day. But what makes this view and this place even more special, is the fact that this spot in Haifa was the very place that God spoke a powerful word to me.
It all began in 2017, when I met a very special guy named Ionatan. He was quiet and shy at first, but I was so drawn to him and knew there was something really special about him. We met at the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. I was a writer for their magazine and Ionatan was the videographer and editor. As the days and weeks went by, Ionatan and I began a friendship. As we were getting to know each other, I could tell Ionatan loved me and wanted to marry me…and this terrified me. Even though I was praying fervently for my husband and asking the Lord to bring me the man he has for me, it was as if I couldn’t see the treasured man that God had brought me… Ionatan.
As we continued spending time together, I quickly realized how many fears, un-trust, and unbelief I had in my heart towards God in this area of marriage. I was scared to make a forever earthly commitment, because it meant if I was making a mistake I would have to live with the consequences for the rest of my life on this earth. I felt the weight of covenant, and I wanted to be sure this was God’s choice and not just Kayla’s. So after about 6 months of getting to know Ionatan, I decided to take a trip to Haifa to hear from the Lord. I needed to be so sure that this was from God because I didn’t want to hurt Ionatan either.
So, I told my friend Lynzi, “I am going to Haifa to hear from God about Ionatan. Do you want to come with me and hear from the Lord together?” She was in! We hopped on a train and made it to the Christian guesthouse near the sea in Haifa, and immediately asked the Lord to speak to us throughout the whole weekend. God led me to the verse Jeremiah 3:14-15:
“Return, faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband. I will choose you – one from a town and two from a clan – and bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.”
As soon as I read this verse out loud, I knew God was saying to me, “Kayla, you need to trust me. I am your husband and I will give you an earthly husband who is a shepherd after my heart. You can trust me to bring you the best. And…Ionatan is my best for you!”
By the end of the weekend, I felt so much joy, peace, and excitement to see Ionatan again. Today, almost three years later, Ionatan and I are happily married with a sweet and smiley baby girl who is almost 1! And Ionatan still to this day says, “I remember when you came back from that Haifa trip, because you were so different. You were so sure of me.”
As I sit here writing with the Lord (and my sweet daughter who just so happened to take a nap so I could write!!) by the seaside in the place where God spoke to me over 3 years ago, I am in awe as I look at the precious gift of my husband Ionatan and my daughter Ava. I wouldn’t have the incredible honor of knowing them and growing in the depths of God’s love, if I didn’t give God all of my fears, worries, and doubts, and if I didn’t hear from God!
So thank you Lord for this place and everything you did in me here! Thank you for bringing me back to remind me of how far you have brought me, and yet still how much further you want to take me…and now not just me but also Ionatan and Ava!
I want to encourage YOU this summer to go on an adventure with Yeshua and some dear friends or family! Revisit those places where God spoke to you, and may God remind you of how far He has brought you, but also how much more He wants to do in and through you!
Jeremiah 29:10-13 – “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and everything else will be added to you as well.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”