Rumi said, “Journey forth from your own self to God’s self – voyage without end.”
When I lived in the UK, I travelled a lot.
I spent ten most enjoyable days in Egypt, exploring the temples and other historical places.
It was important for me to see Venice. I planned on staying outside of Venice and spending one day in the city, and the rest of the time exploring the region. I ended up spending four most enjoyable, peaceful, serene days in Venice in mid-summer. Travelling on the water bus from one end of the route to the other end took up most of a day, because I explored along the way.
Then there were the six days in Istanbul – not nearly enough time in that fascinating city. I want to go back to drink the pomegranate juice from a pedlar on a street corner again, and to experience the fragrances and colour at the Grand Bazaar.
In Marrakesh the souk took my breath away, including the snakes that danced out of baskets on the rhythm of flute music, just like in the story books. And there was the stall where you could find a set of false teeth that someone else no longer had a use for …
In the countryside of Hungary there were the road signs that made no sense whatsoever, written in a language with an alphabet that is somewhere between the Western alphabet and Cyrillic – and I had to figure that out while driving on the wrong side of the road.
When I needed help in Paris, France, in the middle of the night, an angel appeared and carried my suitcase up a long flight of stairs. He then pointed me in the right direction for my pre-booked accommodation and disappeared. There is something about Paris that makes my feet ache to the extent that I cannot walk there. I will not go back a third time to find out what it is …
Driving with snow tyres and using a ferry from one island to the next in Finland was an experience I will never forget. That country has more trees and islands than people.
I remember walking down the main street in Prague in the Czech Republic, admiring the stunning jewellery, and suddenly hearing a couple talking in Afrikaans right next to me. In fact, she was talking, saying “Oh! Oh! Look at that incredibly beautiful set of earrings. They are so beautiful … not that I want them – I am just saying” and he grunted in reply.
The light in Connemara in Ireland is exactly as on the postcards – cloudy and dreamy and foggy. The one time I went there made such an impression on me that I wanted to go back there. I had the opportunity when I spent a short break in Letterkenny in the north of Ireland. I put my home address into the GPS and chose a route that would take me to Connemara. Then I decided to follow the Atlantic Seaboard south, which would take me through Connemara. The GPS protested all the way, but I knew what I was doing – until five hours later, when I saw a road sign saying Letterkenny 5 kms. I was travelling in a circle all the time. I then followed the GPS, reached Connemara well after sunset, and got home nearly midnight. I will have to get back there …
I travelled safely in many countries and never felt threatened in any way. There were always helpful people, and I enjoyed every minute of exploring the unknown.
The same has happened with my journey to and with God over the years. I took some detours when I left the church and discovered the truth about religion. Then I realised that no matter where I travel or rest, God is in me and with me all the time. That is such a beautiful sense of knowing.
Over the years my gift has grown exponentially with the acceptance of my gift and the knowing that God knew what he was doing when he created me.
I have seen so much proof of this in the last few months, and this has made all the losses along the road worthwhile.
The journey continues …
Namaste
