In the Air Tonight

 

It's finally official, the pilgrimage has begun! My feet no longer rest on Australian soil, but are instead held suspended inside hundreds of tonnes of flying human genius. In the time it's taken me to settle down, eat a meal and watch The Jungle Book, we have flown 1900 miles and are passing right over Uluru (provided the computer read out isn't telling me curlies). 

According to my watch it's 12:15am Australian time, and I'm beginning to feel the tiredness set in. No sound can be heard except the occasional seat shuffler, some murmured conversations and the muted purr of the four enormous jet engines propelling us through the sky. The relative "silence" comes as a relief after today's non-stop rush. The lateness of my registration resulted in what I would call 'healthy levels of anxiety,' which gave me just the right amount of panic power to get packed in time. A mild form of terror seized me around midday when I realised I still had not received my plane tickets from the booking agency, but providence prevailed after a single phone call and the subsequent and satisfying chime of my inbox.

In about 13 hours our first stop will be Abu Dhabi, where we will barely have the time to gulp down a cup of coffee before boarding another plane to Rome. Let that sink in...

 The nerves are setting in.

I'm honestly trying to come to terms with the fact that I'll be in Italy tomorrow! In Rome; the city to which all roads eventually lead; the visible sign of Christ's Church on earth. The very same Church that I wish to give my life over to in service. And now I get to enter into Her throbbing heart, from where She pumps the life of my faith throughout our beautiful world. Thank you Lord for the gift of our Church.

I want to say more, truly I do. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And like apostles, I simply cannot stay awake another minute.

Peace

Sam