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Blog, butterflies, butterfly, Christianity, Colorado, God, HCCAR, Holly Michael, Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite, Hope, Inspiration, Northern Colorado, signs, www.writingstraight.com
I found the town center and park in Northern Colorado teeming with butterflies. They were everywhere. In the park. In pictures in shop windows.
On the library building.
Everywhere!
I’m a “signs and connections” kind of girl. And I love how butterflies flit about in ways that draw our eyes and thoughts away from ourselves and onto other things, outward and inward.
Makes me think God directs the butterfly’s path so that He can speak to us.
I love butterflies!
Butterfly thoughts take me back to when I was six-years-old in the meadow on our farm in Wisconsin. Wearing my yellow butterfly dress, I laughed and twirled with the dandelion seeds as I basked in God’s immense love. I stretched my hands high and offered songs of thanks for the Creator of the myriad of butterflies, ladybugs, and zippy dragonflies. I felt the love of God then, as if He was there in the flesh, hugging me, warming my heart through the rays of the morning sunshine. I knew then that I was His child.
As I walked around the downtown area recently, and through the park, wondering and worrying, I’m not sure what God was trying to tell me or direct my attention to through the butterflies…
But when I signed onto my laptop this morning, there was a butterfly in the first blog post I read.
I smiled when I read Shari’s post: Life is Not Meant to be Easy. Shari said, “Just like a caterpillar struggles to grow and mature as he emerges from his chrysalis, we at times also go through a process of struggling through the hard of life. We have times of uncomfortableness, and pain to mature and grow into something new. In the midst of the growth I don’t want to miss out on the blessings in the process. Sometimes it’s so easy to get stuck in the rut of complaining that, I/we can miss the beauty of the butterfly that emerges from the struggle.”
My husband (an Anglican Bishop in the Holy Catholic Church-Anglican Rite) and I have been in Colorado helping out one of our churches where the priest recently passed away. As I walked, I prayed about the difficulties our church is undergoing-a church full of ministry opportunities and people needing God’s care, but no priest to serve them. We wonder what God has in mind as we wait for Him to send a new pastor for this wonderful congregation we’ve come to love. I was also praying about my own direction, my worries.
God is everywhere and He even uses the butterflies to speak to us and to direct our thoughts back to Him and to others whom He speaks through. His message to me today is that He is ever-present, ever-powerful, ever-omniscient. He knows our struggles and He will take care of us, especially through our difficulties. All we have to do is to come out of our cocoons and lift our hearts in prayer. We are His children. He’s in charge. We serve an awesome God!
And thanks to Shari for her wonderful blog that carried a message to me today, via the wings of a butterfly.
Nice post Holly. I can remember raising Monarch catepillars in a jar on the farm I grew up on in Michigan. I watched them as they shed their skin while making their crysalis. Then I routed for them as they stuggled out of it a few weeks later. I sent them on their journey after they were ready to fly.
I heard about somebody who carefully cut the shell of the crysalis open to ‘help’ the butterfly only to have it die shortly after it emerged. Apparently it’s catepillar heart needed the struggle to learn to beat as a butterfly heart.
Lesson: Don’t rush God. He knows how much struggle you need to become what He intends for you to be.
Keep the faith.
Thanks Wade! Wonderful thoughts! Yes, God knows what he’s doing.
Thank you for your kind words. I was touched and honored that you used my post have a wonderful day!
Blessings~
Shari
You too…God’s ways are amazing…He speaks to us always
Beautiful butterflies…and they come from something so ugly!
Nice analogy for our lives and God.
What a beautiful story Holly. You know I live in Texas and was thinking today, “How many butterflies there are this year.” Funny you did a post on them. Maybe God is trying to tell us all something through these, His beautiful creatures. Tomorrow when I see them, I will think of this story. God Bless, SR
Thanks SR. Have a blessed week!
That reminds me of a blog I ought to write. I have a poem about it, but the imagery and the metaphor are powerful enough for a further explanation. I read a book by a molecular microbiologist (sounds impressive). It was very lay-friendly. What happens in the transformation from caterpillar to moth or butterfly is amazing. The caterpillar literally liquifies into soup. The DNA in its proper time and sequence gives the instructions for a total re-formation of cells to the flying creature you see. So like in us, we are made totally new. 🙂
That’s so cool.
Thanks for sharing Holly. I really enjoy your words of encouragement 🙂
I love the picture of the struggle butterflies go through to push past the last thread of the cocoon and press forth into the new beauty it is destined for. Much like us. The struggles cause beauty…though sometimes very painful. We need to keep pressing on. Thanks for this beautiful post and pics.
Thanks Glenda! Funny how God’s creatures teach us
Reblogged this on 1earthnow and commented:
Butterflies… great metaphor for inner transformation, remembrance.
Beautiful butterflies, Holly 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
I love butterflies, too. What a miracle each and every one is. 🙂 Metamorphosis is nothing short of amazing.
Thanks for stopping by! Gotta love butterflies!
Wonderful post, Holly. Butterflies are special to me, too. God connected with me through butterflies, yellow ones, at a very tough point in my life. Now, whenever I see one, I think of Him.
God bless you!
Thanks Jean. I think that’s what GOd intended you to do…think of Him…and know that you are loved.
Very nice post Holly and thank you for liking my blog. Your welcome back any time.
Shirley
Thanks Shirley…I’ll be back 🙂
Holly, this is a wonderful post. I can just see you. a little six-year-old girl, drinking in the love of God and twirling around, “drunk” on nature and the love of our Creator.
May the God we serve continue to bless you and your husband. In Jesus’ Name.
Thank you for your kind comments and prayers!
Love your blog and thank you so much for stopping by mine. I hope you enjoy the story.
Thanks Shirley! I do enjoy your blog!
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I came and read this post and two things drew my attention…one ..butterflies are such a favorite of mine. I absolutely love them…and two…I am also Anglican ..I live in Canada…just some thoughts…Diane
Glad to connect on those two things, Diane. Wonderful to meet you and thanks for stopping by.
I love butterflies! As you said, they provide such beautiful teachers and metaphors. Thanks for this inspiring post. 🙂