Well, you KNOW that I'M
totally jazzed, dear, dear Tams (peace to you, dear sister!). And, course, the invitation is open to anyone else who can join us (dear Loz - peace to you and maybe you can "skip" over to Rome for lunch while we're there? - LOLOL!).
To those who might be confused as to why "Rome" now (vs. a return to Egypt... or onward to Turkey)... the change occurred this way:
I was concerned for the others who would accompany me as to the religious climate in Egypt AND our dear Lord had not said that I absolutely HAD to go (back) there. I
wanted to because of (what I considered to be) "unfinished" business (more to see in the Valley of Queens, another trip to St. Catherine's, and the original plan to visit Petra). Rather than get a sure "green light" from our Lord, though, he kept saying, "You do not HAVE to go back, child - you went when I told you. You may certainly go back but it's for your own desire, not because I am sending you." And so, well, you can imagine the confusion with that. And then... the attack in the village of St. Catherine's (which was supposed to ultimately target the monastery).
Now what, Lord? And again, he said that he wasn't sending me back; if I went back it was for my own purposes. Nothing
wrong with that, but he wasn't
sending me. Not there, anyway. If anything, I would be sent to where I had "not (yet) gone."
I still knew I had to "go" somewhere, though - was being "sent" somewhere... and knew that Jordan (Petra) was part of that (the where I had "not gone," yet, having missed it last year due to the lost passport fiasco). So I started to latch onto Turkey (because, you might recall, I am to go there, at some point). Turkey and from there, Petra. When I tried to book to Turkey though, I kept being sent (by the Internet search engines) to "Rome". Now, I'll admit, I've always wanted to visit Italy... but not necessarily Rome. The Vatican, etc., doesn't really have much appeal for me and that's what I think of when I think of Rome, even though there are other "sites" there.
Even so, I did a cost analysis and itinerary for both Turkey/Petra and Rome/Petra, then presented to dear Hubby who said, "Why Rome? I thought you had to go to Turkey?" and I said I did but for some reason "Rome" just kept coming up and so I figured what the heck. But I let it go. And then...
I learned that travel from Turkey to Jordan is actually pretty difficult right now because of what sits directly between them:
Syria. Ummm... Surface travel is out (both highways and railways are closed at both the Turkish and Jordanian borders). What about flying? Wait, what, over a
warzone? Mmmmmm... maybe... not. I mean, it would be okay for ME... but I would not be alone and the distance is too short for much altitude. Also, there's some difficulty with getting into Jordan
from Turkey. Well, okay, what then, Lord?
Well, I came across something that said folks fly into Jordan from
Rome... all the time! Not only every day... but several times a day - and with very little problem! AND... a lot less expense! Say
what, now? But... I
still wasn't SURE. I was not hearing either Turkey OR Rome. ????
And so, I began to feel a bit anxious. So as not to go with and let that anxiety, which had hung around for a few days now, overtake me, I took the matter to our dear Lord. Late one night, I said, "I
need to know, Lord. I need to know for a certainty so that I can go wherever it is
you want and do whatever it is
you want... and find/see whatever it is
you want me to see... so as to know whatever it is
you want me to know and understand. Please let me know
for certain where I am to go!"
And I immediately heard him I heard him say "
Read the 143rd Psalm, child." Of course, I went to it right away and when I came to verse 8... I knew,
without a doubt... that I would know
exactly where I was to go the next morning:
Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life." Psalm 143:1-8I stopped there. No need to go further. But for the first time in several days, I went to sleep in great peace.
My sleep was SO peaceful, though, that I was SO relaxed the next morning that it wasn't until around 11:55am that I realized I still didn't
know! I almost panicked and then I saw the time and immediately called out, "What now, Lord?!" And he immediately said to me, "
Read the 11th verse of the 23rd Chapter [of Acts], child[/color]". I didn't hear him say "Acts" - somehow, though, I knew that's where he
meant. And so, I immediately opened a Bible app on my phone... and read. And my heart literally jumped when I got to the verse:
"The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”Talk about heart-pounding, chills up and down, eyes blinking. I knew then, as soon as I read it and
without a doubt, "where" I was supposed to go. The "route" I was to take to Jordan.
And so, that's how the change came about. Some things occurred afterward that helped further my certainty:
1. Turkey's government extended its state of emergency (instituted July 2016 after the failed coup) and won its referendum (albeit narrowly) to amend the country's constitution giving its president sweeping new executive powers.
2. Apparently, there is some who believed the Ark (of the Covenant) spent some time at Petra. In fact, "Jebel al-Madhbah (Arabic: جبل المذبح, Jabal al-Madhbaḥ) is
a mountain at Petra, in present-day Jordan, which
a number of scholars have proposed as the Biblical Mount Sinai (
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Jebel_al-Madhbah).
This second one is not my understanding - my understanding is that Mt. "Sinai" is in (Saudi) Arabia (
Galatians 4:25) - what we know as Jabal al Maqla or Jabal al Lawz (the other is Mt. Horeb, but I do not know which is which... yet).
HOWEVER... I have learned that what is now "Jordan" was once part of "Arabia." What to do with THAT, now???
Well, I have
not heard that Jebel_al-Madhbah, the mountain in Jordan, is "Sinai" - to the contrary, my Lord reaffirms that Jabal al Maqla (which I've learned some erroneously refer to as "Jabal al Lawz") is "Sinai" and the "proof" is not the burned top or almond tree or split rock... although those things certainly lend some credence... but it's the Saudi military installation that now controls the area. Why would they need a military installation on
that site? Only one reason, dear ones: uranium.
But... there
is "something" at Petra, perhaps something that shows it is NOT "Sinai"... or even better, perhaps as with Ethiopia, something that proves yet another place our dear Lord went during the years before he presented himself to his cousin John to be baptized in the Jordan River.
We shall see, I've no doubt.
Peace to you all... and to your dear households!
YSSFS of Christ,
Shel