Butterfly Sightings

Today, before I sat down to do my Bible reading for today, I went outside to the garden. I saw this beautiful yellow butterfly. It is amazing to see something so delicate and graceful. It made me so happy to see it in MY garden! I thanked God for such a wonderful gift from Him. It was so thoughtful for God to think of me in this way. Maybe that sounds strange, but I really see it that way.

Other people might have just took it as a random moment in their day, where a butterfly came into their garden by sheer happenstance. But the butterfly doesn't know what sheer pleasure it gave me by being there. And what about the timing? If I had gone out to the garden earlier or later, I would have missed it. But I believe that God knew how that butterfly would catch my attention and that it would make me happy. God knew exactly what moment I would be out there to see that fantastic creature, and that is why I thanked Him for such a special delight.

Then, when I went in to read, I came across I Peter 5:6-7. Peter is talking about how we need to humble ourselves before God, and that He will exalt us in due time. In addition, Peter encourages us to cast ALL of our anxieties on God because God CARES for us.

The "Butterfly Sighting" just shows me how much this passage is true, and how God really does care. When I read the words, "because He cares for you", it really touched my heart. God actually thinks about me, my needs, and my hopes; and He considers them and finds them important. Wow! That's amazing to me because He is GOD, Creator of the Universe and He cares about me. Who or what am I when compared to Him? Nothing, and yet He CARES ABOUT ME!

And seeing the butterfly really drove home the other part of today's reading, that is, the part about being humble. If I was full of myself in that moment, I most likely would have missed that tender moment. If I counted myself more important than I am, I would have missed the beauty of that butterfly, because I could have only seen myself.

In recognizing my smallness in comparison to God and to the world in general, I was able to take my eyes off of myself and see the butterfly, the gift from God. When I am humble I seem to recognize and appreciate the simpler pleasures in life. Those simpler pleasures bring a kind of contentment I can't find anywhere else.

In Phillipians 4:6-7, Paul is talking about that very thing too. He encourages us to be anxious for nothing and to pray to God. That means humbling ourselves before our Creator, and giving Him control. Although that can be scary and difficult, the outcome of doing that is a peace that passes all comprehension, and our hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ. Wow. I have to admit, that I have a lot of fears and anxieties now in my life. But I also have to admit that in that moment with that butterfly, I did feel peace and contentment, which God knows I needed. Amazing, isn't it?