A brief window of opportunity opened up to go to Northern Portugal for a mini-break with my husband. Such a delightful country, place and people. And a welcome respite from the rainy cool and grey of the UK!
On the last evening of our stay, I had a spa treatment from the therapist at the hotel. I’ll call her “Jovita”. I was Jovita’s last client of the day. This lovely young lady could not have been more helpful and accommodating, wanting everything to be just right for me during the treatment. I could tell she is a “person of peace” but one not yet following the Prince of Peace. Although she let me be entirely silent through the treatment, what she didn’t know was that I was having a s secret conversation with Jesus about her, while face down on the treatment table!!
I asked Jesus to show me something specific about Jovita that could encourage her after the treatment. I kept being drawn to the girl in the book “Heidi”- how she loved the mountains and had a very special connection with them. I sensed that Jesus was saying that He had made Jovita just like that too. She loves the mountains and has a specially deep connection with them, they are a significant place for her to be. Given that we were in a bustling city which, though hilly, is certainly not known for any mountains, I felt this word for Jovita would either be spot on or wide of the mark. Only one sure way to find out!
The treatment all done and gratefully enjoyed, I ventured to share with Jovita the special encouragement I felt I had received from Jesus on the treatment table. It was great that no other customers were waiting and no one else was in the room (Thank you Holy Spirit!) As soon as I tentatively mentioned the book Heidi and Heidi’s love of mountains, Jovita chimed in with a big smile – “oh yes! I know that book”! She then couldn’t contain her excitement when I said that I believe Jesus wants her to know that He has made her, Jovita, the same way – with a special love for and connection to the mountains!
Jovita excitedly expressed how true this is of her, almost crying with emotion as she told me of the special feeling she has in the mountains, how she can almost see things in her future with clarity there and how closely she connects to the sights and sounds of nature and the pure, fresh air of mountain landscapes. It is the place she most longs to be. Her hotel group had once assigned Jovita, along with some other therapists, to work at a mountain location. Jovita was the only one who hadn’t moaned about having to be in this quiet mountain area! She had absolutely loved every minute of it.
The next part of the message to Jovita was that Jesus has a special invitation for her – He wants to meet her on the mountain! To show her who He is there and the good things He has for her life. Jesus understands Jovita so well, I assured her, as He Himself had a special kinship with mountains! The most significant events of his earthly ministry took place on mountains. Perhaps the most significant of all these were the many times that Jesus would draw aside from the crowds and constant demands on Him .to go alone to the mountains and be with His Heavenly Father. There He enjoyed close, intimate times with His Abba and received all He needed before He went back down again to serve others. Jovita identified with this and confessed how drained she herself can get, always needing to be fully engaged with people at the hotel, whether staff, bosses or customers.
“But how can I meet Jesus on the mountain?” What shall I do next? I don’t really know of any mountains in Portugal.”
I directed Jovita how to find some places online where she could read about Jesus on the mountains and that could connect her to Him in the Bible, I told her I felt sure that Jesus would speak to her personally through those scriptures, even if she wasn’t physically able to be on an actual mountain. But He would help her find geographical mountains to visit with Him, too, for them to enjoy together.!
I then felt I needed to say that there is a very real spiritual realm - Jovita nodded - with all kinds of beings in it, good and bad, including angels and archangels (she had mentioned her interest in these at one point) . But there is only One Name to whom ALL these other beings must and do bow – the Highest Name of all Names anywhere, at any time, the Mighty Name of Jesus. This was the Name and person that I had come to know for myself, after calling out to God for help one night, with little understanding of who He really is, or His extraordinary holiness, love and forgiveness. Jovita nodded again in understanding.
All this may sound a lot, but our conversation lasted no longer than fifteen minutes or so. I could tell that Jovita was drinking it all in, like very dry skin absorbing fragrant massage oil!
As it came time to say goodbye, Jovita was radiating happiness! She said to me “I have been looking for a sign of where I should look in life, what I can do to move forward and be happy. You are that sign. I am going to look tonight for those things you mentioned online. Thank you for helping me. And God bless you too, Gilly.” We exchanged emails and I turned to leave, just as two other members of staff came into the room. Perfect timing!
The story gets even better though! , Later that night, I looked up some online articles I felt could help Jovita and emailed them to her. She messaged back to thank me, also saying that she couldn’t go to bed before reading them, start to finish - and something else had happened too. While she was eating dinner that night, a programme came on TV in which a man started talking about his experience of going to a specific mountain in Portugal!!! The name of that mountain? “Bom Jesus” – or “Good Jesus” mountain!!! A mountain that is not all that far from Jovita’s city. Jovita was bowled over by this happening and is planning to visit the mountain on her next day off, knowing that God Himself must be in this, it cannot possibly be mere coincidence. Amen!!
Please pray for my ongoing contact with Jovita - and most especially that this dear young woman will come into full salvation and new life in Jesus. How deeply the Father loves this “Heidi” with her heart for the mountains He fashioned so intentionally. Draw her up higher and higher to You, Abba. May she come to know Jesus as her very own Name above all Names, Saviour and King !!