Today I witnessed personally
the Quietest side of God’s work
in the Miraculous!
Had I known it was coming,
I’d have queued up my camera!
It’s easy to tell, most folks can see,
I take pics with my phone
everywhere my feet lead!
It’s a part of the platform
God has blessed and gifted me.
Ordinary, every day sights
become vision-laced with Heaven!
And even though you and I
are still becoming
more and better acquainted,
these things I see
have ties to Yahweh’s truths,
the Presence of Holy Spirit,
and have absolutely everything
to do with Jesus!
LIFE with Him is so much more
fascinating than fiction!
Full of a Compassionate Intimacy
that’s absolutely breathtaking!
So I’ve no need to exaggerate
and no call for hyper-inflation!
I was walking amongst
fields full and golden with ragweed,
capturing the busy work
of some pollinators on my iPhone,
when I happened upon a solitary
orange butterfly.
It was flitting about, by itself in the brush.
I noted with a touch of sadness
that its wings were tattered
and quite a bit damaged.
As a result its flight pattern was
waxing and waning.
I leaned in a bit closer
and watched as it fluttered downward
into a brown patch of dry, gnarled up brambles.
A split second later,
in less than a blink,
I felt a HUGE jolt!
Was something wrong with my eyes?!
The orange butterfly came lilting upward,
it’s wings fully formed!
No tears were to be seen!
It’s faded colors, restored!
I’ll tell you right now,
I quickly checked for the obvious!
Had there been a second butterfly?!
Had it simply escaped my notice?!
I looked…there was just the one!
And, oh, the excitement to document!
I frantically made a grab for my phone!
Had I realized there’d be an ‘after’,
I’d’ve made sure to capture ‘before’!
“Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will do it.”
Psalms 37:3-5 BSB
There just so happens to be a story behind this story.
I believe it to be noteworthy.
I don’t generally broadcast these things
but today I’ve been fasting.
Last night was long and so very difficult;
this morning came full on with regrets.
Feelings of solitude and loneliness
(add to it some angst
regarding current events)
and I became willing
to hang out with the ‘wrong crowd’,
some rather shady characters on the tv.
The evening’s scenario
put a dent in any tranquil thoughts
and absolutely wrecked my sleep!
As I sat with my first cup of coffee this morning
having a rather serious talk and good cry with Jesus,
I heard these words and I decided to act,
because I want more of Him showing out
in the way I live my life…
and I really want to make a change!
“Isn’t the fast I choose:
To break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free,
and to tear off every yoke?”
Isaiah 58:6 HCSB
Rewind now.
Back to the Moment with the orange butterfly,
as I walked thru fields of gold,
Comforted by the warmth of the sun shining.
In spite of my failings and weaknesses,
this is my Father’s heart towards me!
How liberating to embrace it!
He feels the same way about
each of His beloved children.
“Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will come quickly.
Your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger and malicious talk,
and if you give yourself to the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted soul,
then your light will go forth in the darkness,
and your night will be like noonday.
The Lord will always guide you;
He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land
and strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.”
Isaiah 58:8-11 BSB
Help us all, LORD, to more carefully consider our habits. Are they something that build us and others up, or do they tear us and others down? Do they honor Your Word, or are we making a grab for the crown? Help us, Holy Spirit, to carry out our better intentions with committed resolve, not born of guilt or shame or compulsion. Rather, make our choices all about love and adoration. The love and continual affection of Christ, is our perfect example. Amen.