To Return to Jerusalem?

I've been slowly working my way through the New Testament (most recently Acts) for sometime now. I got stuck on one scripture in Acts for at least a week... re-reading it every morning, trying to make it sink in. And even though I finally moved on with my readings, I've continued thinking about this passage for at least a month now... and so I thought I'd share it with you.

In Acts 21, Paul is in Caesarea. He is informed that if he returns to Jerusalem that he will be bound, beaten, and imprisoned. His Christian brothers and sisters beg him not to return. They try to convince him to look out for himself (which seems natural,  totally ok and even smart). But Paul's response is, "Why all of the hysteria?... You're looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience." (Acts 21:12-13, the message)

Paul wasn't receiving necessarily bad advice. It sure seems like it was good advice (logically). And it was not coming from bad people, but rather godly people, who believed they were advising him wisely. But Paul knew what he must do. He knew that his obedience was what Christ was asking of him... not a logical, intelligent self-saving decision.

He saw it in reverse:  "What does Christ ask of me?"  Obedience.  "But this may result in the loss of your life."  Still obedience.

The question I kept asking myself that resulted in a week of re-reading the passage... and another month thinking about it is, "Would I return to Jerusalem?"

Would I return, knowing that pain awaited me?

I found myself wondering what in my life has been a return to Jerusalem?  Have my past sufferings (minimal as they have been) challenge my faith and made me question God?  Or do I see it correctly?  Do I see it in reverse, like Paul?  How out of this difficult situation am I asked to be obedient? Because it's so easy to forget that it's not about me at all. It's about how I can serve Him. (How easily our human, selfish, sinful selves lose sight of this concept!)

My prayer is that if I would not "return to (my) Jerusalem" before reading and meditating on this passage, that I would now after the fact. I pray that my eyes have been opened. That my heart is made strong. And that no matter what is asked of me, that I can choose obedience.  Much easier said than done.  But this is my prayer.