An Adult Fairytale

Once upon a time there was a young woman who felt very lonely.  It wasn’t that she didn’t have friends—but she didn’t feel understood by them.  Her parents didn’t grok her either.  But most of all, she felt that god didn’t understand her—and worse, didn’t care to show up in her life.
Why did she continue to believe in a god who didn’t appear to care about her?  She didn’t have an answer to that question.  She maintained a dim hope that one day, this would be different.
On a sunny, summer day, she was in her favorite place—a glen with a pond fed by a waterfall.  She was startled when someone suddenly appeared out of nowhere.  It was a young woman who was wearing a robe.
“Let’s go for a swim,” she said.  And she stripped off her robe to reveal her nude body.  She dove into the pool with a splash, and called to the young woman to join her.  With only a slight hesitation, the young woman stripped off her dress, and dove in. 
There commenced a water fight, with giggles galore.  After tiring of that, they both rested, floating in the water.  “Who are you?” the young woman asked.  “I am Jophiel.  And you are Cate.”
Jophiel is a feminine archangel who oversees creativity, beauty, and art.  She awakens in humans self-awareness, inspiration, hope, and joy.
Surprised at the knowledge her visitor had, Cate ducked into the water, and headed for shore.  Jophiel joined her, and offered her a towel for drying off.  They both put their towels on the ground and looked up into the trees, soaking in the sounds of the place—the waterfall  and birdsong.
“Who are you,” Cate asked again.
“I am one who has the power to provide you a gift of your choosing.  What will you have?”
“I would like to experience God.”
“That is a tall order, and a dangerous one.  Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Jophiel took her hands, looked deeply into her eyes, and then kissed her forehead.”
Cate was immediately suffused with a warmth she had never known, and then a bitter cold, and then warmth again—joy and sorrow in equal measure.
“Thank you,” Cate said as tears ran down her eyes.
“Think of this tine when you are lonely or scared.  The sense of God’s presence will come over you, like it did today.  Here is a talisman for remembrance.”
She received an opal, her birthstone. 
The opal is a symbol of love, passion, desire, and eroticism.  It also represents amplification, higher hope, and divine purity.  It helps the wearer sort through thoughts and feelings to enable decision making.  The opal is about deeper spirituality.
Jophiel disappeared as suddenly as she had arrived.  Cate walked home, meditating on her experience, filled with a new sense of joy and peace.  She had the opal made into a ring, and wore it all the time.