Time Stops For No Man?

After countless . . . conversations over the past few months trying to remember the last time we actually saw our friend Jim Barnett, his ship finally came in, (ha) to the Port of Naples, that is! A few months ago he contacted us on face book to let us know that he would be in the Mediterranean in early April and that his ship would be docking in Naples! How amazing is that?! At the time I was thinking, “Wow, that’s awhile from now.” It’ll be half-way through Lent, all that much closer to finding out about the Board results, and there could even be the possibility of sunshine and nice weather in the forecast by then. These were some of my thoughts! It’s been a harsh winter – heavy-duty winds that move any and everything in their path and most of the time the cold, biting rain to go along with it!

But, sure enough, before we knew it the day arrived. The night before, the phone rang and there was his familiar voice saying my name, “Tami? It’s Jim Barnett,” as though we had just talked to each other a year or so ago. But, “it is we who use time; time is not measured . . . it is just the tool for measurement”, and for us – suddenly – 25 + years were filled in and there we were, talking as though it was as natural as anything. Where had all that time gone? Well, we had used it all up!

Earlier that Sunday afternoon, Papa and I spent a number of hours driving my little car all around Naples (risking our lives for friendship, mind you [ha]), making sure we knew where we were going and how to get to the port (for sure), how to find at least a few of the historic sites to show him, and double-checking our time-line for getting him back to the ship on time. Monday morning traffic in Naples is busy and crazy, so of course we wanted to be prepared! We parked at the port where the ship would be docked the next morning at 0700 and went up the stairs to the new shopping galleria. The grand opening is scheduled for next week. That was unexpected and fun! We were able to acclimate easily after that and then figure out the best way to get home. We wanted to bring Jim to our house as well and show him Pozzuoli and a little of our area. Isn't that amazing!

Jim is traveling with Royal Caribbean International, assistant in charge of the music for the entire ship of over 5000 people - something like that - and will be in the Mediterranean for the next several months. They'll be in and out of Naples at least 10 times or so! We are really looking forward to a number of visits together.

We picked him up at 0900, spent the day just like we planned it and had an absolutely wonderful time together - as if time had somehow stopped or skipped along the mountain tops. We each have had our deep "valley" experiences, but somehow they didn't matter - on Monday!

Since arriving in Naples we keep hearing that this is the place where the Apostle Paul first stepped ashore before his last long journey on foot to Rome on the Appian Way!

When Paul was taken to Rome as a prisoner, Luke tells us in Acts 28:15 that Paul was coming up the Appian Way from Naples with his guards, and that the Christians in Rome “had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.”

Papa and I had heard that there was a marker somewhere in the Port of Pozzuoli (5 minutes from our house) to mark this momentous occassion, but in our previous attempts had not been able to find it. But on Monday - with Jim - we found it!  On the left and in the center are the markers for the Apostle Paul, and on the right is a marker for the visit for Pope John Paul IIwhen he visited this same historic spot.  Beautiful!

~The butterfly counts not months but moments, 

and has time enough.~