I set out at 8:30AM from the campsite, quick walk to the bus stop, arrived at the ferry terminal saw a ferry and ran onto it. Showed my ticket and took a seat, ready for my day in Venice, I was aiming for a 10:30am service at St Georges Anglican church. The only church I could find online in Venice, (a city full to bursting with churches) that advertised its welcome for international visitors but that’s another blog post!
The Ferry Set off in the wrong direction, actually it was I who was going in the wrong direction! I couldn’t have been going in a more wrong direction if I had taken a bus and caught a flight to nearby Switzerland!
I was instructed to get off at the next stop and catch another river taxi, which I did. Which also went nowhere near Venice, stopping in the middle of the Adriatic near some random islands to transfer its passengers onto another ferry. Which like the previous one stopped at every single stop! still, I had allowed myself extra time all was not doomed, yet!
Upon arriving at a port on the wrong side of Venice to where I needed to be, I had a choice. A quick check of apple maps showed me either I should continue on the next water taxi number 3 by this point, or walk 19 mins to st marks port and then get a taxi, I was now around 10 mins late for the service. I chose the taxi and this sealed my fate, I didn’t check how long the taxi would take, it like my previous two water taxis stopped at every stop and I was in for a further 45 min water taxi trek.
Eventually I made land in Venice at 11:15am, a number of hours later than what should have been a 30 min ferry ride, frustrated, swearing under my breath, very angry with God, half-heartedly deciding if God would not help me get to church on time, what’s the point, in ever going to church or believing in God at all! *!!!%&^
My day got better and I had a lovely if not exhausting day in the end. My error was to believe I didn’t need others to help me nor that I needed to check where I was going. Even though experience should have reminded me, that my navigational skills are pretty rubbish especially in a foreign country. Indeed wondering through the streets of Venice, Siri had to come to my rescue a number of times!
To Ponder:
Do you have a similar story and what might it be?
I wonder what might God be trying to teach us through such experiences?
How does society, use God as a scapegoat for when things go wrong? Is that fair and if not how might we re-educate people?
d-church 