The Butterfly

Written by my husband, Tony, in 2007.


I was push mowing the lawn late last summer when I noticed off to my left something flying toward me.  It was a butterfly. The creature seemed to be in some sort of distress, its flying pattern seemed erratic.  I shut off the mower and watched it come to rest just a few feet away from me. As I watched the butterfly slowly moving its wings and resting on the ground, I couldn’t help but communing with God and praising Him for the beauty and wonder of His creation.  I moved closer and tried to catch it when suddenly it began beating its wings furiously.  The butterfly took off and went over the fence into the neighbor’s lawn and landed.  I looked at it. No motion.  Its wings weren’t moving any more, it had come to rest.  It had died.
I had witnessed the butterfly’s last flight.  It would fly no more.  It made me sad that this beautiful insect would no longer wing its flight.  What a waste, I thought, fruitless.  What was the point of this creature?  Flourish and then die?  A few brief days in the sun, then gone, and forgotten. At that moment, it was as if God spoke to my heart, and I realized that this butterfly’s existence had not been in vain.  It had caused me to be closer to God, to praise Him for His awesomeness, to wonder at His creation.  As I dwelled on this thought, I couldn’t help but wonder how many other people were touched by this tiny bug in its short life.  How many children had seen this very butterfly and been filled with awe and joy, and chased it around the yard giggling. How many people had it stirred something deep within them, something that told them indeed there is a Creator, there is a loving God who is all powerful.  This butterfly had served its purpose.
Are we not like butterflies?  Do we not rise up and flourish and reflect the beauty and glory of God?  Do we not show his power and workmanship?  We can learn a lot from the butterfly.  Our lives are not pointless.  We have purpose and meaning.   My prayer is that we, as Christians, can be like the butterfly and bring joy to those who cross our paths. To be a vessel through which the Holy Spirit can stir the hearts of those around us into a relationship with Christ or a deeper relationship with Him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Write On

Image
This morning, my husband and I went on a drive to Rochester just so I could get my picture taken with other women who had contributed to a devotional book. Just over an hour to drive one way for a photo. I thought it was a bit excessive, but in my heart I really wanted to go get my picture taken with the other ladies who had been chosen for publication. My husband knows me well and took the time to bless me with a drive and a coffee on the way home. He made his way into the event location filled to brimming with women, and maybe a handful of other men, so that I could do something that would bring my heart joy. I am very blessed! Sometimes joy comes in the simplest of things: having your picture taken, receiving a handmade card from a child or friend, getting a text from your mom, seeing a picture from years ago flash across your screen. What a gift it is to find joy in the little things. Yes, our two hours away from home turned into four, and there were challenges along the way, inclu
Read more

God is good...even when life is hard

Life is hard.  This is not new information for many of you.  I pray it's not your life motto right now.  Instead, I hope your life motto is more along the lines of: God is good even when life is hard.  That's something to hang onto and embrace.  You can count to ten and then remind yourself: God is good even when life is hard.  It's a simple thing to acknowledge the truth of that statement, and remind yourself that it doesn't just have to be: life is hard.  God's goodness flows over the hardness of life and smooths away some of the jagged edges. This is a good reminder for me right now as some struggles are happening in my family.  I try hard to not put my family's concerns out in the public eye because I don't feel that's necessary.  However, with one of our recent struggles, I have turned to five dear ladies for prayer.  They are my prayer warriors, and I am beyond thankful for them.  If it weren't for my Abba Father, my handsome honey, and my fiv
Read more

What I learned from a phone book... (Part I)

Written in 2007. Have you ever been so bored that you read the phone book?   And then you started wondering about Bill and Joanne Berkeley.   You started thinking about their gorgeous house at 280 Pleasant Lane .   Your imagination took off as you pictured the two-thousand-square-foot house with the spacious three-car garage and in-ground swimming pool.   Bill and Joanne were spending their Saturday afternoon grilling on the newly stained back deck.   Their three children were with them as they all sat down to eat the picnic feast set before them.   And after enjoying a rousing game of croquet, the five merry Berkeleys make their way into the house where they all contentedly tasted a delicious home-baked apple pie.   As soon as they entered the house, you noticed the interior lush with antique furniture, imported carpets, and top-of-the-line electronics.   But wait…the doorbell is ringing.   Who could that be?   Joanne knows!   The two elegantly dressed people standing at the door
Read more