Moments of Heaven

Notre Dame has been my favorite place to visit in Paris. I went there three days in a row. Actually I was secretly stocking the cheap Eiffel Tower Key ring hawkers. One of them gave me the creeps the first day when he approached me and would not leave me alone. He was asking if I was from Australia. He was definatly the most uncomfortable encounter of the whole trip. Oh the wonderful things to experience in Paris!

Yesterday on my daily journey to Notre Dame I arrived during a special playing of the Notre Dame organ. I guess I was lucky because it does not happen every Sunday. I went in the massive Gothic cathedral and found a seat in the middle because I thought it would be the best place for listening. Being a single unit really helped at this moment as I had plenty of seats in prime places to choose from. I sat down and for the first time all day I was just still. I just listened to music moving through my body like I have never experienced before. It was a powerful yet soft sound. It did feel like I imagine a piece of heaven to feel like. I just sat there full of beautiful music and looked in front to the center piece, the sculpture of Mary holding Jesus' body and the gold lit cross. For me it was a moment where time stood still and somehow nothing in the past or future made any difference to me because what mattered was exactly and only the present. It was a blessing to just sit and be and take in a spectacularly beautiful moment in life. How often I wonder do such moments cross our paths (my path) yet I am so much beyond it or behind it that I never even realize it is there. These last few weeks as I have learned what I am like traveling alone I have also realized how I travel this thing we call life. I run, run, run, run. There is so much to miss in running. It is so easy to miss the moments of beauty and creativity and imagination. It is so easy to miss the God who is right there. When I have made myself stop on my journey like this this time at Notre Dame I have found something special. God met me in my stopping. How often we ask, "Where is God in our lives?" Ha. He is so right there, isn't he? He just waits for us to take in his moments of heaven.

After the concert I walked around aimlessly for an hour just taking in the sights and sounds of Paris. You will never guess where I ended up! I made a circle back to Notre Dame for Mass. I bought a crepe with sugar, are it with thankfulness and went in for the most over the top catholic mass of my trip. So much pomp and circumstance for this protestant girl! The smoked up the whole place with "holy smoke". How is that good for preserving the cathedral. I guess it still is very much a church.