Italy awaits me.  Or so I think.  In my family, we’ve been talking about a big overseas girls’ trip for years now; just my mom, my sister, my niece, and me.  We haven’t had a clear destination or timeframe in mind, just the desire to travel and make memories together. But now, my sister wants to run in the Rome marathon in 2024, and my mom wants to show the sights in Italy to my niece and me, since we’ve never been there.  So, while this idea is in seed form now, it may take root and become reality.  In just two years, the women in my family may invade Italy. 

I’m picturing pizza at its finest, window shopping, tossing coins in fountains.  I’m picturing wandering through vineyards and sampling what they produce.  I’m picturing warm sunlight over Tuscan hills, a good evening meal after a full day of exploring. 

I’m sure this is nowhere near what the Apostle Paul pictured when he looked forward to going to Italy.  Regardless of what he envisioned, it seems Rome was never far from his thoughts.

• “I long to see you.” Romans 1:11 NASB
• “I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.” Romans 1:15 NIV
• “I have been longing for many years to see you.” Romans 15:23 NIV
• “I must also see Rome.” Acts 19:21 NET

Throughout Paul’s ministry, Rome loomed large.  Wherever he went, whatever he did, he seemed to know Rome was ahead.  And he did make it there, eventually.  He made it there unhindered.

Unhindered.

This is the very last word in the book of Acts (NASB translation), and it perfectly sums up Paul’s state and the state of the Gospel after everything that happened in the preceding 28 chapters. 

After all the attempts to silence the Gospel; after all the detours and delays; after beatings, imprisonment, shipwreck – through it all, Paul arrived at his destination: Rome.  He was a little worse for wear, but he was unhindered.  And the message of life and salvation in Jesus’ name continued to spread throughout that region – unhindered.

He was unhindered because he remained obedient to the Lord, stayed focused on Him and not the circumstances surrounding him, and trusted the Lord regardless.  He knew God could do anything, use anything, accomplish anything.  He knew God would bring him to Rome, and he did. 

His faith was unhindered.

And the Gospel was unhindered.  Nothing could stop it!  The message of the resurrection of Jesus and the hope and life found in Him spread literally everywhere Paul went.  People were saved, the church was strengthened, and the kingdom of God advanced – unhindered. 

There is an important lesson for us here, something we see clearly throughout all of Pauls’ missionary journeys, through all the miles he clocked. It’s the lesson of looking at the big picture and not hyper fixating on one small scene, even though this is easy to do. 

God can use what seems like a detour to bring us right where we need to be.  Paul knew God wanted him to go to Rome, so he didn’t worry about all the stops and starts along the way.  He trusted God to protect him and to bring him to the right place at the right time. 

And he opened himself up to opportunities along the way – everywhere he went, he ministered.  In a prison cell, in the Areopagus, in city after city, onboard a ship, on the island where they shipwrecked – all along the way to Rome, he ministered to those around him. 

He didn’t discount those opportunities just because they weren’t at his final destination.  He didn’t belittle his circumstances just because they weren’t ideal.  He didn’t write off the possibility that God could move – even in circumstances such as his. 

He was faithful where he was while he was on the way to where he was going. 

So, what’s your Rome?  What’s the one thing you desire from God?  Your overarching goal, your focus, the thing you see clearly in your mind but not yet in reality.

It’s good to have a Rome.  We should all have a Rome, a direction we’ve received from the Lord, plans and desires and goals that we’ve surrendered to the Lord and are pursuing in Him, with Him. 

Rome is a good thing as long as we don’t rush the journey to get there.  We must be careful not to be so focused on getting to what’s ahead that we miss what God has for us along the way.  We need not be so consumed with seeing the Coliseum, the museums, the history, and the hills that we neglect to see the beauty in front of us right now. 

God has people for us to impact, lessons to learn, growth to gain now.  And all this will only serve to prepare us for when we do get to our Rome.

Remember the big picture.  Rome is just one stop in life’s journey; God has many places to take us.  And regardless of the backdrop of each season of life, God can accomplish something good in it, and He can bring us to the next destination on time even when it seems like we’re miles away.

So, let’s savor each season, keeping our eyes open to the opportunities around us, all while we work towards Rome.  Let’s take a mental snapshot of each phase of life, internalizing the lessons learned, and adding new postcards to the collection as we go.  And as we do, the big picture of our lives will become clearer and clearer, lovelier with each passing year, as we move forward – unhindered. 

And when we finally make it to our Rome, we will be ready to receive all that awaits us there because we’ve been faithful along the way.  I believe Rome will be breathtakingly beautiful – and that’s worth waiting for.

I’ll see you there.  Ciao!