Have you ever seen a harvest moon? I’m not sure I realized there was such a thing until Friday evening when we went to dinner on the lake at Pier W. The location of the restaurant offered an unusual view of downtown Cleveland as the sun set.
The treat of the Harvest Moon obviously came as we were seated at our table that faced the row of windows overlooking the lake and the view of the city. I tried desperately with my Iphone to get a picture of what we could see, but this was a time I needed one of those super duper cameras everyone else seems to have (or a professional like Kate Jimmerson 😉 ).
Saturday morning I could not neglect the opportunity I had to sit outside in 64 degree weather so I took my book outside and for about an hour I basked in the sun’s warmth (instead of melting in it’s heat). Our cousin’s backyard was like a mini retreat.
As I mentioned in my last blog, I’ve been recognizing God in nature, God in all the little things…and then I had one of the greatest ‘gifts’…my cousin’s daughter (who is 16) came down to talk to me about my book. She had a lot of questions to ask and so it led to some good discussion. She had a lot of questions about our faith as well and then suddenly she got up and left. I sat there for a moment because she did not necessarily leave right in the middle of the conversation, I wasn’t sure if she’d left on purpose or was coming back. I had this ‘feeling’ that I needed to go check on her and ask her a question of my own (in regards to her faith). When I went upstairs I found that she had been crying. She confided in me that when she read things about faith (specifically Catholocism, or even just questions in regards to God, angels, heaven, hell etc) it made her want to cry. She couldn’t understand why “Because I’m not sad,” she said. This beautiful young woman is a good woman too. There is a deep mature spirit inside of her that I can tell she ‘gets’ things that many take decades before they understand. I knew instantly she had the gift of tears.
I explained this to her and it made her cry more. She asked me more questions about it and our gifts and then she confided in me some things she’d seen as a little girl in regards to her faith, good things but that she didn’t understand till she read my book. When our conversation was done I knew that God was speaking to her heart and she will remain in my prayers to be open to hear him.
Later that afternoon I got to spend an afternoon with Lisa and was treated to my first ‘facial’ spa treatment. We went to a place called Walden and it was A M A Z I N G. Each room had it’s own sauna/shower (the kind with like 10 shower heads) and then a whirl tub…each treatment you get you go in for 1/2 hour early to partake in the sauna and whirl tub, caramel chocolate, etc and then you get your treatment…THEN you get to hang for 1/2 hour to rest, shower, etc. It was awesome. One thing I realized as I getting poked all over my face during the treatment (thanks to my inherited nasty complexion) I was spoiled. Spoiled by many and mostly by God. I remember years ago ‘wishing’, not praying for but wishing that one day I could do spa treatments. I would read about these amazing places and wanted to know what it was like. And now I have spent two weekends in a row doing just that! Crazy!
But please don’t hate me. Last weekend we got for practically FREE and this weekend was a gift. It’s not like I can do this all the time…Like I said, somehow someway I’ve been gifted this ‘wish’ and I am not letting it go unnoticed or unappreciated.
I know many don’t understand why my husband took me to Ohio for my birthday but I will tell you it was probably the greatest gift I could receive. But I do know it’s back to the grind and in many ways that is a gift too, to be wanted, to be needed, to be useful. 🙂
Enjoy your Sunday.
Blessings
Shannon