Beauty 365 … Stories of Love and Life for Everyday

It was a surprise gift from my lovely husband who chose it from a wool shop somewhere on a car trip between Sydney and Melbourne, over ten years or so ago now. (I say “surprise gift” because I admit that I am pretty good at sniffing out or even planting the idea of gifts, but this one was completely his own initiative!) It is made of possum fur and is exquisitely soft and delightfully warm. ”Queenish” is a good word to describe how I feel when I wear it and somehow it makes me stand tall. It is one of my few treasured wardrobe items.

Apart from being beautiful and useful, my red cape has become significant for another reason.

In recent years it has become known, at least to me, as my Pentecost cape. Each year I wear it on the feast of Pentecost, a feast which I am growing to love as much as I love Easter and Christmas.

To me, my cape is symbolic of the flames that settled on the heads of the apostles when the Holy Spirit visited in the upper room. I love to imagine them, scared, confused, and downhearted, and then completely transformed when the Spirit descends

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As a wife and mum, living in these complex days, I am constantly plagued by doubts, weakness and fear. I wish that allowing my life to be powered by the Spirit was as simple as putting on my red cape! But I have so often experienced the transforming power of the Spirit in my own life, that I have the confidence to continue walking my faith journey, knowing that with Him, all things are possible. Thank you God!!

Wishing you all a blessed and truly transformative Pentecost.