Monday, April 9, 2012

Terribly Interesting: Dinner and a Show

Terribly Interesting: Dinner and a Show: What if you went to dinner with a friend and she was trying to share with you a story about a wonderful trip she went on with one of her ch...

Terribly Interesting: God is More Dangerous than Terrorists

Terribly Interesting: God is More Dangerous than Terrorists: Denbigh asked me a few weeks back if I felt a greater sense of urgency of late. Is anyone else feeling the birth pains of revival? I do. In...

Living a Life Unoffended

Francis Frangipane: "HOW TO BECOME UNOFFENDABLE"

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Hungering after Butterflies

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalms 37:4

One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. - Helen Keller

“How does one become a butterfly?" she asked. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” - author unknown

_____________________

The other day I was going to write a blog post entitited "Hungering after Butterfiles." I was going to talk about the choice in life

and how, when we choose Jesus, we choose a life of butterflies.

Butterflies that rise up in the spirit...as something of beauty..

butterflies that lend thier wings to something on the inside..

something that stirs and hungers and thirsts...

something that longs for more of the things of God and craves His own heart..

....spritual butterflies..the ones that, when self is put aside, rise up in all thier magnificent color...and soar...

.....

So,..... I had this post in my head, all neat and pretty and packaged..and then some amazing things began to happen..

I woke up the next morning and was sipping on my morning cup of iced coffee...My nephew, in a state of flurried excitement, rushes over to tell me about this beautiful, vibrant butterfly that is trapped inside the treehouse.

"Come see it.. We have to resuce it....He needs to be set free. Rachelle, come see this butterfly."...................................................

"Ok, Luke..let me finish my coffee and put on my shoes and I will see what I can do about rescuing this butterfly."

I began to ask all of the pertinant questions. The questions that must be asked when a butterfly is trapped. "Is he trapped in the screen?" What is his condition? Did you try to capture him? What prevented you from capturing him and setting him free?

I learned that the butterfly was flailing about against the screen. He wouldn't be still enough to be gently placed into the hands. I once read that if you touch a butterfly's wings that you will do it serious harm. The wings, I read, are comprised of thousands of tiny scales and touching them damages thier wings and renders them useless.

I grabbed my shoes and headed out to the playhouse. I said a quick prayer for the safe release of the butterfly.

as I approached the frantic creature, I could see that he was desperately trying to escape. He kept flying into the screen as if he had no means of escape...

I bid the little fellow to stay calm. I put my finger right near his frail legs and he climbed aboard for a few seconds. During the course of those few seconds, I managed to scoot him every so slightly near the door..nearer to sunlight.

I put my fingers, once again, near his tiny legs. He climbed aboard. I inched him closer. This dosey doe with me and the butterfly lasted for about five minutes. Finally, I carried him on my fingers to sunlight. and he flew safely into spring.

I didn't think much about it throughout the day.

That night, as I was leaving work... I glanced down on the concrete and lo' and behold', could you guess what I saw?

Another butterfly..!!!!!

He was walking sluggishly . He appeared to be in distress. I told him, "It's ok little fellow, everything is going to be ok. " I placed my finger down on the cement...near his tiny, frail legs..and he climbed aboard. Please note, I don't think I have held a butterfly in over 25 years..and, during the course of a day, two butterflies crawl onto my finger.

I took a picture. I know, it sounds crazy, right?

Keep in mind that my battery on my cell phone was low so the flash didn't come on...

my beautiful butterfly...

don't worry I didn't touch his wings.

So..... I wasn't quite sure what to do with him... I rode him on my bike ( we ride bikes at the plant) to my car.... The entire time he stayed, perched on my finger. Well, he fell off once, but I put my finger down and he got right back on.... I brought him to my car and at this point I wasn't quite sure what to do with him..

I thought of trying to give him something to eat..but I had no clue as to what butterflies eat.. I thought of setting him in a little cage until he gets his strength back..

As I was pondering the plight of the butterfly, one of my coworkers comes along and I ask him if he thinks his little girl can take care of it.. "sure, he says."

"be careful with him," I instructed. So he takes the butterfly and brings it safely to his home.

Yesterday, was a day of butterflies. I started to think it one of those strange details of my life.. but there was nothing strange about it.. It was beautiful. I reeled in beauty in the shape of a caterpillar with wings.

Do you see the significance? The complete wonder of it? I was going to write about hungering for butterflies..and the very next day.. my hunger was filled. Two butterflies, that needed assistance, were placed in my path.

There are two verses that come to mind..

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart..Psalms 37:4

and

the verse that mentions how we must care for "the least of these." I can sometimes see and feel God's great love for creation..for his creatures..the helpless, the wounded, the afflicted....

.... I guess if you take nothing else from this post... then recall these verses.. Delight yourself in the Lord. He will give you the desires of your heart..
and whatever you do for the least of these..you do for Him..

I pray that you aren't content with being a catepillar. I pray that don't consent to creep. I pray that you seek the butterflies that Jesus gives..and I pray that they rise up within you..and you learn that you had wings all along.

and then, I pray you fly.

the little old lady perusing thru the bakery

The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. - Isaiah 9:2

Photo taken by my sister in law, Melonie.. I love this photo!
http://www.fifphotography.com/

Today was one of those beautiful days. Sometimes, when I least expect it, I can subtly feel the tapping of the Holy Spirt.. softly tapping....upon my shoulder...whispering ever so gracefully into my ear.

I long for my more of the Holy Spirit because of the beauty I find through obedience to the still, small voice... the sense of overwhelming "rightness" that beams like a thousand suns into the most dismal of days..

Today, He found me at the grocery store. Jesus, in His wonderful way, directed me towards a little old lady persuing through the baked goods of the bakery.

She reminded me of my grandmother in appearance. She moved slowly..eyes pointed downward. There was something sad about the way she moved. something solemn...

Sometimes God allows me to feel His great love for particular individuals. Today, it was the solemn persuser of the bakery aisle.

I collected my groceries for work and I ran into her again near the cheeses. The tapping continues... tap..tap..tap.. "extend your hand of grace".. "extend My hand of grace to this lady"

I walked up to her and told her that I would like to buy her groceries. She looked at me as if I was from a foreign planet..as if the words itself were an unknown utterance from another time and place.

She grabbed me by the arm and humbly said.."Now why would you want to do that?" I told her that she reminded me of my grandmother. I told her that Jesus asked me to buy them for her. She proclaimed that in her entire lengthy time on earth, no one has ever offered to buy her groceries. She looked completely shocked.

She replied that she was only there to kill time, but would like some milk. She had an Easter cake in her cart. I told her to please get whatever she needed...I assured her that is something that I want to do..

While she proceeds to the dairy section, I decide to surprise her with an Easter Lily. They were on sale at the front of the store.

A few minutes later she meets me near the checkout. I asked her what she is doing for Easter. "My husband died. I'm a widow. I'll be spending Easter alone, she replied." I offered to take her cart and put it away, as I proceeded to put her items into my cart. She replied that she would like to keep her cart. She explained that she needed something to lean on. She recently had back surgery.

I bought her items and then gave her the Easter Lily. She continued to thank me, but I simply told her how much Jesus loves her.

As I was driving away, I thought.. "That is Jesus."

Wonderful Jesus. The One who cares for the broken. The One who puts Easter Lilies on tables of lonely widows and shines as a bright light of Hope when the call of His voice is heeded.

I thought about not writing about this...I don't want accolades. I don't want credit. I want anonymity. I don't want to be a Pharisee boasting in the street about the good works I have done.

But I thought..I don't want credit for this... This is Jesus. This is who HE is... this is not me..

A few years ago, I was the base woman with a penchant for deception and all sorts of other vices... . A woman who cried herself to sleep night after night from all of the anger and hatred.. and the loathing from unforgiveness.

But then, I met this wonderful man named Jesus. And this is who He is... the man whose gentle tapping..buys groceries for little old, lonely ladies and on days that should be ordinary but because of love, they are anything but.... .and shines as a beacon of hope to the lost.

Jesus, you can tap on my shoulder any day of the week.

Musings of an Island Girl, Photoshoot of Big Lake Island, Part 3..Hebert's Camp

I like to stroll thru Hebert's Camp.

There is so much color.

So many nooks... I marvel at the front porches, the well kept yards, the dazzling arrays of flowers. I wonder about the lives of the people attached to the porches, inside the houses...

Hebert's camp is an area that consists primarily of vacation homes and camps.. ..very nice and lovely homes.
I like the beauty of the area. everything is kempt and arranged ever so neatly. The yards are pristine.

This may sound strange, but I can see God, in things that are ordered..things are beautiful and well kept.

I see God in the attention to the details..in the time taken to make things lovely... I see God in sweat and toil and work. I think of the verses that warn against laziness..

Proverbs 6:6-11

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
   consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
   no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
   and gathers its food at harvest.
How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
   When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
   a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
   and scarcity like an armed man.

It reminds me that good things are never free. There is always sweat and work that must come in order to reap a reward.

As i look at the world of color, I can see the work that it took to grow the flowers. Hands pressed into ground. Dirt under nails. Thorns pricking skin. And I know that nothing of value is ever handed over..

I used to think that God was a tool for "handing things over.." I thought His sole purpose was to help me pass a test or to get me safely from point A to point B.

I was naive.

I didn't realize that He is more. He is the creator of this world of color. He has a plan which far exceeds anything that was on my mapped out little agenda. And He tells us that entry into His kingdom is hard. It's work. Because I have come to see that the best things in life are never free. Nothing of any value ever comes easily. Christ died so that we might live..but the walk doesn't end there. We are called to pick up our own cross and walk.. and that requires work. It requires sacrifice. It requires seeking and loving in such as way that self is put aside.

I keep envisioning runners of a marathon. They train for months to run one of the most difficult races. They train thier bodies. They prepare themselves mentally. They push themselves toward a desired goal. They achieve because of thier endurance and hard work.

with all that in mind... I can't help but think of the verse that says we are in a race. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." Corinthians 9:4... This is one of several verses about a race. So if we are required to run a race, doesn't that mean work? It makes sense..that the best prizes go to the people who work the hardest..who push..who endure..who persist...who overcome every evil with good. It makes sense. It is justice..... even in this life..we often don't think it is fair for some to get handed things while others do all the work...so why should Heaven be any different.. Some serious food for thought.

......on another note, I see how God longs to take broken lives and make them beautiful. Broken people.

He allows me glimpes of what the world should be look...it should be ordered and beautful and well kept. I once read that Heaven will be a lot like the way life was intended. Before the fall. There will be roses without the thorns.

I imagine people working together, helping one another, living life the way it was always meant to be lived.

I imagine Heaven as strolling through a beautiful world of color.

p.s...

Don't be discouraged. When you are tired and don't feel like running anymore.. Remember..
"I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13