And
let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do
not give up.
We
were on the road in Genoa…..smooth sailing according to our Google Map
directions—piece of cake. Our little
white Fiat CinqueCento, dubbed St. Benito….patron saint of tourist drivers,
zipped through tunnel after tunnel…bridge after bridge…..we were early and life
was good.
Our
exit was coming up soon according to the map…..the light from the end of the
tunnel was bright and suddenly a multitude of exit signs appeared—all right
together---for a sharp immediate right----semi on my tail at an “Italian”
distance (meaning he could count the hairs on my head)…..and in a moment’s
time, we missed the exit according to Google Maps.
No
worries, we will simply turn around…….bridge…..no exit…..tunnel…..no
exit…..bridge….no exit…..tunnel….no exit.
Kilometers passing. Traffic
getting congested……me reminding myself that the car portion of our trip was
almost over…….and voila! A
Roundabout!
We
turn around and zip back to the beginning only to find that the exits are not
marked the same in the other directions…..of course not…..we miss the exit
again and St. Benito is headed towards the Autostrada with no exit for
miles……he hang right to the Airport to turn around…..to start completely
over…..no problem…..no worries.
This
began our journey in Genoa….two hours of roaming the streets……of realizing that
Google Maps did not have proper directions…..the exit it wanted us to take took
us kilometers away from our destination and put us smack dab in the middle of
the red-light district…..casinos…..gentlemen’s clubs……graffiti…..we find the
city center where our rental drop off should be located……but now what?? The rental office is closed (of course it is)
and no one answers the phone….the emergency number does not work (It’s Italy on
a Saturday afternoon…..) and my phone navigation system cannot seem to find
us…… We have missed our train….and I am
lost.
Do
not grow weary in doing what is right…..because in due time, you will reap a
harvest…….
I
want to quit! I want to give up!! I want to put the car in park, grab my
suitcase and find the nearest gelateria.
As I circle back…..street after street…..light after light…..roundabout
after roundabout…..I am over it! I am done!! I’ve got nothing left to give…..and St.
Benito’s protective powers for lost tourists obviously expired and the end of
my agreed upon rental return time…..
It’s
easy to grow weary of doing what is right.
It is easy to simply give up when you aren’t appreciated…..when people
do not see your heart….when you give and receive nothing in return. Sometimes, I just want to put life in park
and run away to the nearest vendor of gelato fragola…..un cono con due gusti
per favore…..but the reminder to not give up permeates my soul…… Life is discouraging sometimes…..being a
parent is discouraging sometimes…..trying to blend a family can be
excruciatingly discouraging most of the time…..but if I quit doing what is right,
I am going to miss the sweet harvest.
Remember to not get tired of doing what is right…..because in due time, you will reap a
harvest at the proper time.
We
see a row of taxis sitting at a monument.
An idea springs forth….what if we paid the taxi driver to take us to our
destination? Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding!! It’s harvest time!
