Picture this: an endless ocean under a glowing white sky on the coast of Turkey.
Tonight's sunset..
From my hotel balcony, I take in this view of God's creation, and I am struck by a sudden sense of his deep and immense presence. I am reminded of my purpose on this pilgrimage as I hear Him whispering," You don't know me yet; come out and I'll show you. And so, we go out.
On our first full day in Turkey the reality of this adventure has slapped us in the face. The day began with red peppers for breakfast (but I stuck to the decorative orange slices!) and an exposure to the really foreign language of Turkish. Despite unplanned itinerary diversions and hours under a blazing hot sun,
we have been graced with many moments of grace and wonder bringing to light the intention of our trip. And good or bad at first sight - every moment is an intentional gift from God.
We visited the home of the blessed Virgin Mary, also called Meryemana
It stands on a large hill hear a mountain near the third city of Ephesus. Based on the dream of a nun, the remains of Mary's residence until death were identified in Turkey, and it has been a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims since its discovery-
Margaret Langford...
Other places today:
Church of St John and Ephesus City- pictures below:
Margaret and Pilgrims,
ReplyDeleteWasn't the view from up top on that hill beautiful? I think there might have been a baptistry there too (if I'm thinking of the right place)--one you walked down into at one end hen you were baptised and walked up from at the other end afterwards. It reminded me of my baptism in the Disciples of Christ Christian Church where at 13 I was baptised--through immersion--a dunking of sorts--like in the lake at Kanuga. i digress! Your blog brought back memories.
Keep staying open to God showing you himself. This was a great reminder to me. Thank you!
Mama Weinmann