Illuminate, Illustrate and Imitate God's Love - A moment of clarity in my favourite city
Ahhhh Paris. The end-of-the-line trip to end a whirlwind of a year, Paris with my beautiful friend Olivia was just what I needed. It was a true blessing, to say the least.
After a Sabbath afternoon of chatter and joy in the park with my London friends and hugs that would have to last a long time, we made our way to the coach station to embark on a nine hour journey across the channel to France. I got to see my Canadian twin, Devon, one last time, and we danced and giggled to avoid crying. Devon has become an amazingly close friend in the last few months. God knew that we both needed one another in this time. He's amazingly merciful, and I can see His handiwork in our friendship.
Cramped in a bus for 9 hours, we eventually made it to Paris. Normally sweaty and feeling rubbish, the arrival to Pigalle neighbourhood where we stopped for a morning juice, coffee and cake at KB Café was easy and relaxing in the cool of the morning shade. I watched Olivia soak up the neighbourhood, the language, the people. I could sense the delight in her heart that was born in my own only three years earlier. It made Paris new for me once more.
We eventually checked in to our little 6eme étage apartment in Montmartre, from which you could see a clear view of the Eiffel Tower and the rooftops surrounding us. Hya, our host, was beautifully friendly and jovial - a Mexican man who had set up his own little Mexican establishment only a short stroll from my old apartment from the time I lived there.
We ventured out in the the warmth of the day - wandering up the Butte Montmartre through the quiet cobblestone streets and up to the Sacré Coeur for a view of the city - and then wiggled our way down the hill into the busyness of the city centre. We were blessed with quiet streets, the warmth of a European summer day and great conversations. I was so happy to have such a wonderful woman by my side - redefining the city for me in light of past memories and adventures.
We caught up with a couple of old Paris friends from my university days and headed towards the 5eme arrondissement for lunch. The conversation was varied and wonderful - and the food delicious. The conversation breached "God" and I watched as one friend got really into it, whilst the other squirmed. It was jovial, fun and respectful - just as it should be. And I gathered a great deal of insight into how retrospectively, I used to writhe away from the topic and try to justify myself. Today I have found a freedom that truly allows me to be comfortable. Shame free. Alive!
We went and lay in the Jardin des Plantes after lunch before a grumpy old french man told us to move our derrieres and so we sought a spot by the riverside instead where a large group of people were dancing to Samba. I went solo in the sun whilst Olivia looked on, watching and smiling and soaking up the goodness around us. We followed further along the river where different little quays gave us a different style of dancing and we finally settled by some acoustic latin guitar playing with a drum and wiggled our feet in the tide of the water as the boats washed past. An ice-cream from Ile St Louis in the middle of the city and a wander home and we were out like a light later that evening.
The morning approached and with it a craving for le petit dejeuner. We perched ourselves at a little brasserie with croissants, tea, mango juice, butter and spread and bread and careered our way through breakfast before we headed south west towards the Champs-Elysses for a spot of shopping. A successful purchase at Sephora and Zara later and we were on our way to the river edge again - our destination the Eiffel Tower. Feeding ourselves grapes like goddesses, we later found ourselves getting caught in a rain storm. Olivia had a black girl moment, rushing under cover at a Papeterie where two older women sat waiting for the storm to pass and eating ice creams. They didn't know English, and the sight of a british Jamaican girl freaking out at the rain was a nice bit of entertainment for their Monday afternoon.
We decided to find a way to cover Olivia's afro hair to avoid the rain's effects - she wrapped her hair in a plastic bag (LOL) and then as if it had been God's plan all along, I opted to take my shirt off that I was wearing and wear the little black top I had bought that morning along the Champs-Elysses. It was a sight watching Olivia wrap her hair, whilst I stripped down not-so-elegantly before tying my shirt around her head. But the effect was glorious. We are a practical pair, Olivia and I.
We continued after the rain had subsided along to Pont Alexandre, and then along the river under the bridges - singing hymns, choruses and giving glory to God - He was restoring our souls and giving us the biggest grins. God has smiled on me - He has set me free!
That evening we had dinner with Hya at his little Mexican store. On the television he was playing Australian songs like Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning" so we got the Aussie tunes cranking and I ended up playing a video of two red kangaroos having a big beef at each other in someone's street. The whole restaurant and passers-by were watching and laughing. The entertainment was real, my friends. Kangaroos are ridiculous and it's time we all acknowledged this. Can I get an amen?
The evening ended with us sprinting towards an ice-cream shop and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the top of the hill. The joy was real. Paris was truly showing off.
Our last day started with a wander through Jardin des Tulleries towards the Louvre, which we found was shut. Instead of mulling around there, we decided to walk towards the vintage stores in Le Marais and up to Rue Cremieux with all its different coloured house fronts and doors, then back along the river towards Ettiene Marcel and stopping for a wrap and a baguette. We were slightly exhausted after that and so we made our way back to the apartment, had a cheeky rest and then went out into the city again in the evening for our final night in Paris - crepes and frites for dinner and a beautiful walk along the river's edge with a big band playing, the lights sparkling and the Pyramids shimmering in their reflection.
Every time I come to Paris it is a new city for me. It holds all the old memories, but it allows me to create and enjoy the new ones just as much. Having become sober and vegetarian and allowed God's love to completely infiltrate my heart and life - Paris was even more beautiful - it sparkled and shimmered and shone endless joy and I saw God's artistic presence in all of the good bits. He was saying to me "shine on, my girl. Look at how I have made this new for you. Look at how you can enjoy places without the reliance of old things. Look at how much joy a beautiful Christian friend can bring to a place that before you could not see God in. Illuminate, illustrate and imitate my love for you and for the world."
And so, as I sit here in my home town, watching the photos from our trip flash up onto my screen, I can just tell that wherever I am, there God is. Whether it be in the UK, Paris, or in Australia - I am to do a mighty work through and for God's glory. And I'm so absolutely excited to see how He transforms the lives of those that He created and endlessly loves. So excited.
