"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Romans 5:1~5

Paul, the traveller and Roman citizen, had made three prolonged and extensive journeys, pioneering the Christian message throughout the eastern provinces of the Empire and establishing churches. Having significant contributions in building the early churches, i would assume that God will probably make his life easier thereafter. I would imagine God would make Paul the Dean of some mega-church, let him be an invited speaker in churches worldwide, or maybe let him retire early with a big fat pension, or even give him a all-expenses-paid holiday to Hawaii for a sabbatical. Alas, it was not meant to be......

Paul was arrested in Jerusalem(Acts 21:27), spends two years in custody in Caesarea, was called before the authorities three times(Felix, Festus & Agrippa), was extradited to Rome to be brought before Caesar in court, but before he could reach Rome, he was shipwrecked with the "Perfect Storm"(Acts 27), with quicksands and whirlwinds off the North African coast, and with neither sun nor stars to set a course or calculate their position. So Paul reaches Rome at last, though hardly in the way he imagined. Later on in AD64, Emperor Nero made a scapegoat of the Christians, laying the blame on them when Rome went up in flames. Paul was imprisoned and executed in about AD67 in the ferocious persecution that followed.

For my braadders and sistaars who are disheartened by troubles in your life, take heart, cuz we never face any of them alone. And like King Leonidas, or King Peter(for the younger ones), let us rise to the occasion once again...