I Survived Hezekiah's Tunnel

I was walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel, a water channel carved far below the City of David in Jerusalem some 2,700 years ago. I slowly took in a heavy breath of air so damp that it sent a chill down my spine. We were only a quarter of a mile into our trek, not yet halfway through.
Had it not been for the flicker of light sent ahead by friend’s flashlights, the darkness would have certainly overwhelmed me and sent me over the edge of panic. I tried not to focus on the hard stone walls that closed in on all four sides- so close that at times I was forced to tuck my elbows into my side and stoop down low to avoid contact with the ceiling.

The fact that water was present in this enclosed space only caused my pulse to quicken. As it’s cool waters rushed over my feet and at times reached up to my knees, images of the movie Titanic came to mind. Would this be my end? I could see the headliner now: American Tourist Group Drowns in Tunnel Below as Water Levels Rise Unexpectedly

Despite the dramatic headliner my creativity spun, I did indeed make it out of Hezekiah’s tunnel that day and enjoyed the adrenaline rush that followed. The best part of this adventure for me was under the surface of my soul though. God had been working on me for quite some time and the fact that I had just completed the tunnel stood as testimony. You see, only a decade ago I struggled with anxiety and panic attacks that seemed to come out of nowhere. I didn’t like feeling trapped and began to need the reassurance of a quick way out of any space I found myself in. This newfound fear slowly became so all-consuming that at one point I wasn’t able to will myself to walk through a large store or sit in the middle of a row at church. Eventually, the days became so discouraging I tried to make peace with this new way of life which wasn’t really living at all. I felt really stuck but it turns out I wasn’t because God can change people from the inside out. He will enter into the dark spaces we have created and bring us to a place of freedom and life if we allow. In fact, it’s His specialty to do so. If you had told me during that difficult season of my life that I would one day be willingly able to walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel I would have laughed in your face. I may have even laughed in God’s face, but somewhere along the way, I decided to believe He was able and allowed Him to begin changing me. It’s been a slow and steady process of quiet moments with Him over the years, but He has brought me to a place I had once considered unattainable.

What’s your Hezekiah’s tunnel? Something you doubt He is able to do in you? I’d encourage you to meet Him there with an expectant and willing spirit and maybe one day you will find yourself in the very places you once thought impossible.