The Sistine Chapel Story

Recognize this? Sort of? Maybe if it wasn't so blurry?

This is my one photo of Michelangelo's famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I took it while walking. I didn't even slow down to get the right aperture settings or anything, so I'm lucky it turned out as well as it did.

My kids were asking about this incident yesterday: the time I got lost in Rome at the age of 15. We were talking about the spirit and how you know when you feel promptings, and this is one of those experiences in my life that always reminds me that even a scared 15-year-old girl, lost in a foreign country can be guided.

If you already know this story, I apologize. Read no further. Just go get Pirates of the Caribbean and settle into your comfy couch. That's what I promised myself I would get to do later after I finish my quota of articles.

During a whirlwind group tour of parts of Italy and Greece in which I participated over the Easter season of my 15th year, I had a chance to visit the Sistine Chapel, among other remarkable places. It was Palm Sunday, and as you can imagine in a predominantly Catholic country near the Vatican, it was crowded. Our group was scheduled for the Sistine Chapel tour, but as we entered the waiting area, I got separated from them. I had been talking to one of the guys in our group, but quickly lost him in the crowd, also. It was elbow-to-elbow people, and I thought I was far behind my fellow tourists, so I hurried through the throng to find them. They later told me they saw me go by and called to me, but I didn't hear them over the noise.

The tour started and I was with a crowd I didn't know. I'm not even sure if the tour was in English. I wasn't paying much attention as I was thinking I was behind, so I kept trying to hurry through to the next place, looking for them. It soon became apparent that I was completely lost. Rather than just the one chapel, this tour takes a very long time and meanders through all kinds of rooms full of exhibits. Exits both small and large are scattered everywhere, and I was so confused I nearly started crying. That day I had forgotten to bring my hotel card with the address so I couldn't get someone to give me directions to where we were staying. I didn't know where I needed to go or where I was. It was very frightening. That's why I didn't even stop in the Sistine Chapel to take a decent picture.

Of course, I was praying with all my might for help. After 45 minutes, I felt suddenly prompted to go out a certain exit. It was just a nondescript little door, one of multitudes I had seen already. It fed into a tiny little courtyard -- more an alley than anything else -- and nothing to give me any indication of my location in relation to the Vatican or other landmarks I could recognize. Once outside, I just stood there. Again, I prayed and felt a calm assurance that I needed to stay right where I was. For ten minutes I stood there, waiting for...what? I didn't know. I just knew I should stay there.

Suddenly, the guy I had been talking to and become separated from earlier walked out the same door into my little alleyway. Of all the doors in all the tour, he walked out of mine, and I was so relieved I nearly pounced on him to hug him hard. After a brief discussion, he convinced me he knew the shorter way back to Vatican City (it turns out my chosen direction was shorter after all), and we walked and walked. As soon as we came back to the Vatican, he took off to go photograph the Basilica, and I was left standing there alone again. At least I knew where I was, even if I didn't know how to get back to my hotel. Suddenly, one of the other guys in my group bounded up, exclaiming in relief. He brought me back to the bus, and I climbed on to the cheers of my fellow tourists. I bet my teacher was greatly relieved not to have completely lost a young girl in Italy. As it was, I missed lunch.

I have always remembered that experience as a testimony of God's love for li'l ol' me, and that had I not been listening, I would not have heard the quiet whisper of the Spirit guiding me along. I'm so glad I was able to learn that.