Richmond defender Bachar Houli recently completed a trip of a lifetime – a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Below is part of Houli’s latest blog from his website, www.bacharhouli.com.au
“The highlight of the off-season was my pilgrimage trip to Mecca, which was the most amazing trip I have been on.
“It was a combination of pure worship and incredible sight-seeing. It was just great to zone-out from worldly affairs and focus on myself as an individual.
“My 22-day trip was full of reflection, and as well as completing one of the five pillars of Islam, it has made me an even more grateful servant of God.
“My reflection included our blessing of good health and the amount of comfort we have living in Australia. Seeing so many people with much less in their life made me think we are given too much, especially when these people that are less fortunate seem to be more humble and so happy.
“We can get so caught up in our own lives and sometimes I feel like the more money and possessions we have, the more we want, and it just doesn't end.
“I believe that everything is just a test from God to see what we do with it. There's nothing wrong with being wealthy, having good health, or a great amount of knowledge, but the important question is, are we giving back? Are we supporting less fortunate people with our wealth, are we using our good health to make good decisions and are we sharing the knowledge we have to benefit society?
“That sort of reflection is healthy every once and a while and I urge others to take some time out to do the same.
“It was certainly a trip to remember and I can't wait to do it again with my wife in the near future.”
Read Bachar Houli’s latest blog at www.bacharhouli.com.au
