orst travel experience you’ve ever had?
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I never did much travelling. My main trip was around Europe in 1984. I remember losing some travellers cheques – but a nice man at a bank in Innsbrook, Austria, replaced them for me. And I got lost countless times and went to the wrong railway station in Vienna. I walked back to the correct one, but my overnight train to Venice had already left. So, I was allowed sleep in the station. If I did these silly things nowadays, I’d fear that it was the beginning of dementia. So, I always like to remember silly things that I did when I was young because it convinces me that I’m just as silly as I always was – no worse 😀.
The most recent bad experience was returning from a UK family holiday in 2015 and discovering that there was a rail strike. I wasn’t completely sure if our specific train would be cancelled, but I didn’t want to turn up at Paddington station in London and discover that I wouldn’t be able to get to Fishguard. So, we booked a coach instead, and thankfully there were places available.
So things can go wrong – I touched on that in yesterday’s daily prompt reply. Even the Apostle Paul had tough times travelling. It seems strange, given that Jesus promises to answer prayers, and Paul was so close to Jesus. I believe that God hears and responds to our prayers, but I see this life as a boot camp or training ground. I always like to ask God to solve my problems, but if it’s better for me to face them , He won’t rid me of problems. There were times when the apostles had miraculous escapes from danger, but these were quite rare, especially as time went on.
Here’s what Paul said when he was listing his problems:
2 Corinthians 11:23-28
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
I believe that all Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit. But that doesn’t mean that we always take the most extremely literal view. If I were to do this with verses 23, I would have to conclude that Paul was out of his mind 😀. What Paul is saying is that he hates having to be forced to talk about his troubles. There were clearly false apostles around who might have alleged that Paul was using his position to do well for himself – like some modern day corrupt TV evangelists or megachurch leaders. But Paul had a tough life. And I don’t see why I should expect an easy life. My nice new computer went dead last week. I keep praying that’ll it’ll come to life. But it’s still dead. Maybe God wants me to stop playing EuroTruck Simulator 2. I could play it on my older computer though 😀. But that’ll die soon too.
Anyway, here are some hymns that are helpful for those with real troubles:
