In 2000, my wife and I went to WYD in Rome, a beautiful and holy city but not one that is well organised. On the first night in Rome the bus load of pilgrims that I was traveling with was taken to our simple accommodation site in a parish in the southern part of the city. Whilst this was the parish that we were supposed to be staying at it was already full of pilgrims and couldn't take anymore. It was nearing midnight and the bus driver wanted to go home, so asked us to all get off the bus. Without a place to stay the group decide not to leave the bus but to pray for a miracle that this site would find some room for us.
The group prayed for what seemed eternity that the parish would welcome us and take us in. At this point I was frustrated and just wanted to get off the bus but I didn't want to leave the group. My prayer was "I'll do anything just get me off this bus". After praying so hard for the parish to take us, we received news that the parish would not take us, but there was another parish that would if the driver would take us there. Many people in the group were disappointed that our prayer hadn't worked, we didn't get into this accommodation site.
Well after midnight the bus driver dropped us off at an accommodation site, but it was still another kilometre walk to the hall where the guys would be sleeping, and I would have to separate from my wife. When I got to the hall everyone was packed in like sardines and I thought "God why did I promise to do anything to get off that bus?" It was one of the worst nights sleeps that I have had in my life, an over crowded metal scout hall in the middle of the Roman summer.
The next morning the guys walked the kilometre back to where the girls were staying. Whilst it was a good place for the girls but I thought it would be a tough week being so far from my wife. During the morning an old lady named Concetta walked into the parish office, she heard the parish was short of beds. She had a double bed, if two girls wanted to share, she could take two pilgrims. My wife and I asked if she would be prepared to take a married couple, which she would, so we walked to her house.
When we arrived at her house she welcomed us into her house and gave us a cup of good Italian coffee. For the rest of the week she got us breakfast each morning and strong Italian coffee. She started to watch the WYD events on Roman television to see if she could see her two Australian pilgrims. In some way she became more connected to WYD because she had two pilgrims in her house.
After a great week in her home we left for Australia. Concetta was a great host and we were blessed to be in her house. Concetta had made it possible for my wife and I to share WYD together rather than apart. Three months after WYD we received an expensive book in the mail from Concetta thanking us for our visit. She had made our WYD experience more memorable yet she said she was blessed too.
Whilst it might sound like a long stretch, but I really believe that if our prayers had worked and we did get a piece of floor in the first parish we tried, Lisa and I would never have met Concetta. God had a plan about who we would meet and where we would stay and no tired bus driver or bus load of pilgrims could change that plan. Sometime what we think is in our best interest is really not as good as what God has prepared.
Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think ... to Him be the glory"
When you travel to this WYD be prepared to give up your plans so you have the opportunity to follow God's plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment