My heart for Judaism

One thing about me that not many people know is that God has given me a love for Judaism.

I remember one day as a kid (11 or 12 years old, I think), I remember thinking about the Bible and some of the various stories that are in it. It occurred to me that Jewish people are related to Abraham and David and Esther and Daniel and of course, to Jesus! To me that was the coolest thing ever...to know you are related to these people!!! So I mentioned to my mom "I wish we were Jewish" which my mom frowned over.

The frown is something I've received a few times. It's not that anyone is anti-Semitic...it's just that they don't understand why I wish I was Jewish when, as a Christian, I have been grafted into and adopted as an heir of Jesus' family anyway.

Honestly I'm not sure I can explain it anyways.

Seeing as there is no way I'll ever become Jewish, as conversion would have to happen which would mean declaring that I am still waiting for the Messiah which I won't do as I know He has already come...it probably doesn't matter if I can explain my rationale to people or not. At any rate, I have periods of times when I can't read enough about Jewish observances, beliefs, and practices.

I think the thing that really draws me towards Judaism, beside the family lineage, is the element of holiness. The kosher lifestyle was created to set apart the Jewish people from the rest of the world. By observing food laws, cleaning laws, laws about relationships, holidays, and more, they looked and acted differently than the plethora of people around them. And when people observed and studied these Jewish people, the reason for their behaviors what God. God was invited into the center of all they did. The mundane became holy.

How often do I put food in my mouth without thinking?
How often do I clean my place with resignation or grumbling?
How often do I fail to invite God into even the little things when ALL things have the ability to be a reflection of Him?

Okay, okay...I know I do not have to be Jewish to invite God into the mundane. And I know I could be Jewish and just as easily forget to keep my focus on God, just as I do now. Soooo...it's a moot point.

All this to say, I've learned a few things from this love-relationship:
--The invitation to allow the mundane to become holy is still an invitation open to God's children...a call I would like to practice more consciously!
--Just as people were supposed to see a difference in the Jewish people, people should see a difference in me.
--If I ever have a chance to go to Israel or other Bible-story locations, or I could learn Hebrew, or if I could befriend a practicing Jewish woman, or, or, or....I'd be delighted.

And that's all that comes to mind.