My Italian Miracle

It was time…FINALLY! My first Italian vacation with amazing friends to Venice!! Stepping, once again, into the unknown, I had never felt more prepared. I knew God anointed this trip, and prepared the way for us to go. I was ready; I was so pumped. We arrived at the airport to pick up the car around 12:00 where Friday excitement was soon met with challenge. The car rental place wanted to charge us 800 EURO…yes 800…for a deposit to take the car off the lot. Let’s all say it together…ain’t nobody got time fo dat! After frantically calling family members and talking to the agents, they told us we could buy the insurance and only put down a 300 euro deposit to be held on the car. Ellie’s amazing dad quickly transferred money and we were able to get on the road around 1:30. In that moment I realized, my plans for this trip had been quickly shifted to the wayside. 

As we managed to successfully drive out of the city, I was mostly silent and in constant awe of the country and position God has placed me in. First, I was driving, something anyone who knows me knows I love to do…probably more than the average person. Second, I was in Italy driving through mountain ranges that stretched beyond the sky. My eyes and heart in pure wonder over the God who had the vision to create such a stunning work. With road signs that didn’t make sense, and a view that often distracted me, we safely arrived at our Hotel in Venice. As excited I was to get away for the first time, nothing could have prepared me for what Burano and Venice had to offer. A small island in Venice called Burano, I had seen pictures of these colorful houses and beautiful landscapes but I was dumbfounded when an image became reality. I know my friends probably thought I was rude, but many times I couldn’t speak because I was so in awe. The colors of the houses, the water as the sun glistens on the waves, the fact that the roads are in the water FOR THE BOATS not cars, there are no words. I couldn’t help but send some praise and congratulations up to God throughout the whole day for being brilliantly beautiful in His masterpiece. My apologies in advance, but I will NOT stop talking about this place!!

Amongst the joy, God quickly showed what it means to truly be in awe of Him. He showed us what trust without borders looks like when you put it in to action. We spent an incredible weekend in Venice, celebrating friendship, praising Jesus and celebrating Julia’s birthday!! It was so blessed! We headed home, with memories and joy in our hearts from what God allowed us to see over the few days! I thought that leaving would have been the high of the trip, but it turns out that in desperate times, God showed up even greater and even more beautifully! We set off on our 6.5 hour trip back to Rome, happy, exhausted, and filled with joy. About 3 hours in, the car started making noise, and we pulled over only to find that a screw had gotten stuck in the tire. And the best part is that He isn’t finished…. He is just getting started. May my eyes be open to see beyond my circumstance into the greatest purposes of He who has called me.

The nicest people came to help us, amongst the broken English and broken Italian, we were able to communicate. We decided to carry on and continue to drive as the screw was already to far in the car. All I could say was “it will be a miracle when we pull in to that parking deck at the airport, girls!” We kept driving but about 30 minutes down the road we heard the dreaded sound of air quickly seeping out of the tire. We had to pull over, and began to call family members and insurance companies to figure out what to do. In the meantime, God was holding us in the palms of his hands and keeping us safe. Pulled off into a ditch on the side of the road, I unsuccessfully tried to change the tire while waiting for the nice person to come help. I know, patience isn’t my forte. The sweetest little non-English speaking Italian man came to our rescue. He changed our tire within 3 minutes…I starred at the flat tire longer than it took him to finish completely change it! He finished, but then began to warn us that we CAN NOT go farther than 50 km before we need to change the tire. He hand-motioned a “kaboom” that the car would break if we went to far. With 250 km to go, I began to worry. I am not a car expert, but I know I would not like to go “kaboom” with the car. Overwhelmed with what we were about to face, I only knew to pray. I realized this whole situation was out of my control and God had provided me an ample opportunity to trust and surrender. This was the moment I had been praying for that looked completely opposite of what I expected. I remember praying that I would see God’s face. It is a lot easier to focus on His when mine isn’t in the way. I handed Julia my phone to play a song and without knowing anything God was speaking over me, she began to play “Oceans.” Within the next 10 minutes my mom texted to say they had just played “Oceans” at PCC as well. I was stunned, silent, and in a constant state of surrender. I gripped the wheel and prayed that God would have His way, that I would know His strength. I battled doubt and fear for 5 hours of the drive, constantly having to refocus that God had control over the situation. My heart skipped a beat every bump we hit, but we continued on. 250 km later, we pulled in to the airport-parking garage completely in awe and overwhelmed by the miracle we had just witnessed. I couldn’t fully process what happened last night, but God keeps bringing prayers I’ve prayed to mind, and He was more than specific in His answering them. He was there. I saw His face glistening on the waters in the same way I saw it on the spare tire we found in the trunk of the car. I got to witness beauty in joy and beauty in pain. I had a plan, but God knew better, He always does. I am blessed to be able to say that I am alive right now and that we made it safely home only because of God. There is no other possible explanation as to how anything happened. He put us in that situation so our faith would be sure and our trust would grow stronger, and ultimately that He alone would get the glory… and with all that is in me I will praise and exalt His precious name.