Italian Lessons

I am a big fan of reflection. After I experience something significant I always like to look back on what I may have learned from it. I did it with college, Zambia in ’07, my first year of teaching, and many other times before. While a mere two weeks is nothing compared to my other reflections, the propensity for lessons remains the same. Italy has taught me things about myself (serious and more light-hearted), this world, and our God.

1. No matter how hard I try, flying will never be for me. The seats are too crammed together for me to get comfortable. I can’t sleep more than 15 minutes at a time, and that just won’t cut it.

2. We (humans) spend a lot of money on ourselves. In no way am I using this to express guilt for my trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the people I was with as well as the places I was blessed to visit. However, keeping track of my expenses demonstrated how willing I am to spoil myself. In addition, I observed the many bags and goodies being bought by all sorts of people regardless of the cost. My lesson is really a challenge: how willing am I to spend (money, time, effort, energy, etc.) on the work of the gospel and loving others? (Matthew 16:25; 19:20; 25:35-36; Luke 9:23; 12:34)

3. Reverence is underrated. I perused nearly a dozen churches over the course of my two weeks. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything that goes on in them, I appreciated the spirit of reverence in them. God is bigger, holier, more glorious, more powerful, and grander than anything we can fathom! These immaculate buildings do an excellent job of reminding me just exactly who it is that I worship. Before I enter into His presence, I should be overwhelmed with a sense of awe and silence before opening my mouth, even if it’s to express my adoration Isaiah 8:13; Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7; Revelation 1:17).

4. I won’t be signing up for any road trips anytime soon. Going in, I knew how much I dislike driving. It’s boring and makes me feel antsy. Thankfully, Jack and Jordan took care of all the driving for our trip. I got to enjoy the backseat (by choice) and the front (by force) for the entire trip. I did enjoy the sights of the countryside as well as the naps and reading time. However, I could have done without the falling asleep of my legs and buttocks (sometimes at the same time). It’s like flying. I am forced to sit still for a length of time my body does not enjoy.

5. History is fun to read, but even better to visit. I actually began college as a secondary education major focusing on history. I quickly learned how much I would rather learn history on my own than try to teach it. Traveling through Italy was like sipping from an ice-cold fountain on a hot and humid summer day. Trekking the same streets and paths as my ancestors was a treat. Seeing building built thousands of years ago still standing was captivating. The best part was simply walking through the same places I had studied about from my years in school and seeing history really come alive!

6. I like to eat. Okay, this one isn’t as much of a lesson as it is an obvious statement. If it would have been safer to stay in the car or on the streets, I would have saved the money used for hotel rooms and spent it on more food. Italy has a lot of good food to be eaten. What we naturally think of as Italian is only the tip of the iceberg. I can honestly say I did not experience one meal I didn’t like. My pallet came anticipating an overflow of wonderful flavors from sweet to spicy, hot to cold. It left more than satisfied.

*Having said that, I must note that while the food was delicious my mother has done an excellent job of maintaining the Italian touch passed down to her from her mother and grandmother. Mom, your sauce is still my number one choice!

7. Vacations are not meant to be vacations from our God. I went into this trip thinking it would be a nice time to relax and prepare for the upcoming school year. I brought my Bible, books, and journal along to keep track of my readings, but did not expect too much refining and revealing (pretty arrogant and silly of me, right?). Well, God wanted this trip to do more for me than simply satisfy my appetite and allow me to catch up on my rest. He wanted to continue pursuing me (Psalm 139:7-12). Without exposing too much, God turned everything upside-down (literally). I will expound on the turning in a later post, but I am leaving with new path to follow. It isn’t anywhere I expected or asked for. It’s simply (though not simple) where I believe He wants me.

8. I like to travel and see all that God has created, whether directly or indirectly through the abilities of man. This world has a lot of things to stand in wonder of. All of them point to our God. The mountains, valleys, oceans, trees, stars, and every other aspect of nature “declare the glory of the Lord” (Psalm 19). The immaculate buildings and ancient artifacts scream out the goodness of God through His gifts to man (James 1:17). His image within us allows us to create all the “unnatural” things around us. We will never exhaust His glorious displays as long as we live.