Float Like a Butterfly

My dear friends had a new baby last week.  I’m funny about new babies – a little afraid of them.  So when new parents ask if I want to hold the baby, an honor, I’m always a little hesitant.  But I asked if I could sit first and they very kindly made sure I was “established” before they laid that sweet bundle in my arms.  And once again, home crept up on me and I was blessed.

Every once in a while (and more often when I slow down enough to watch and listen), God touches my life in small and unexpected ways.  That same day as I was parking on the Walmart lot, a butterfly came from nowhere; it didn’t fly into my line of sight.  It was as if it simply floated down from high up.

And I wish there were a way that I could remember, and pass along to you as well, to keep my senses open.  One of my dogs will get up off the couch unexpectedly and come over to sniff at my hair and give me a lick.  A gust of wind will cause the leaves to catch the sun so that they glitter.

I was doing the laundry a day or two after we had attended a sweet wedding.  And there was a handkerchief among my husband’s things.  You see, here’s the thing.  He never carries nor uses one.  We have Kleenex all over the house and in the car – there’s no need.  And yet, he stuck one in his pocket that day to catch my expected tears.  

Our car has heated seats.  The buttons for them are on the console.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been riding with Steve to Sumter or to church on a chilly day and have become aware that I feel snug and warm.  I always look over to thank him and he’s usually smiling because he knows he’s caught me again, anticipated a comfort and provided it.

My God loves me so and He finds so many ways to show me.  I pray that I, too, will be open to His leading.  I’d love to be someone else’s butterfly!

John 1:16
From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another.

A Fistful of Diamonds

I considered whether to turn on the air conditioner or just simply roll the windows down.  As I left the grocery store to pop into the cleaners, I marveled at the beauty of the day.  Second day of fall, brilliant blue sky, not a cloud to be seen.
It was just after noon when I finally pulled into my driveway.  Feeling muggy, I argued with myself – needing to put on some cool summer clothes, wanting to enjoy “feeling fallish” in my long pants.  I was tired and looking forward to lunch.  Summer was definitely holding on and not wanting to let go.

I opened my car door and that’s when I saw them.  I was so struck by their beauty that I climbed out of the car in slow motion, afraid the breeze from the movement might disturb them.  There on top of the grass, lay forty or fifty dazzling diamonds in a small circle of about eight inches.  As the sun continued to shine directly on them, I stood very still, not willing to interrupt the moment. 

You see, they had been left there for me by my loving Father.  Just to see the delight in my eyes and the surprise in my smile, my Lord scooped up a handful of diamonds and left them lying on top of the grass.  He positioned the sun just so in order that they would catch the light and dazzle my eyes. 

Oh sure, I could look for a more suitable explanation if I wanted to.  But it was too late in the morning for the dew.  And even a light feathery spider web on the top of the grass would have dried by the noon hour.  There was no other water in the area. 

Besides, I don’t want to know how He did it.  I just know that my Holy gift-giver, left jewels to make me smile.  Somehow, He managed a small circle of water droplets lying on top of the grass to catch the sun and bless my day. 

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

My Eyes Will See and My Ears Will Hear (and My Nose Will Smell)

My senses let me down if I quit paying attention to them. Steve’s sense of smell is much more acute than mine, but when I listen to it, my nose speaks plenty loudly. I got out of the golf cart last night after spending an evening at a friend’s house and, for the second time yesterday, I was assaulted by the loveliest smells – the clematis vine blooming by the mail box and the gardenia bush getting ready to pop. Something else was contributing, but more on that later.

I’m studying a book on Heaven by Randy Alcorn with a group of ladies. My eyes open wider every time I read more about what’s going to await us on the New Earth. It’s exciting stuff and, more than ever before, I want to bring everyone along with me! The chapter I read today is about what our new, resurrected bodies will be like and whether we will have our same senses.

The author (and I) believe that, not only will we have them, but that they will be improved and amplified. One statement in particular caught my attention: “Will our eyes be able to function alternately as telescopes and microscopes?”

Understand, while this one statement sounds a little out there, this man does not believe a lot of what might sound outlandish, like our being able to fly or walk through walls. His opinion (and I think I agree) is that, even though Jesus was able to appear suddenly in a group of disciples (John 20:19) or “disappear” from the sight of the two disciples at Emmaus (Luke 24:31), these were qualities that could very well be an expression of His omnipresence and not necessarily qualities of a resurrected human body.

I wear contact lenses and for a while, I used the concept of “monovision” until I got my new and improved bifocal lenses. (Just a personal note: I am really looking forward to my new resurrected eyes!) Monovision happens when I wear one contact lens to help me with my farsightedness and leave my other very weak eye to account for my nearsightedness. And it works! My eyes adjust so that each eye does what it is supposed to do. And because of this experience, the whole “eyes as telescopes and microscopes” makes perfect sense to me and doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.

So my senses have been on my mind today. When Steve wanted to go out on the water, I couldn’t imagine a better time to put them to work. And God’s sweet creation did its work on my eyes, ears and nose. As we pulled away from the dock and moved down the canal on the way to the lift, I saw big turtles sunning themselves on the bank. Then as we made the turn, a beautiful great blue heron stood by the water enjoying the day. So majestic.

Fish were jumping full out of the water and an osprey flew over us. I sat reading my Heaven book as the boat gently rocked back and forth. The breeze has lost its winter edge but we’ve not yet entered that oppressive summer stillness. I sat smiling in utter and complete peace, thanking God for letting me live this close to paradise.

The rocking was not as wonderful for Steve, who was ready to head back. I was amazed to find out we had been on the water for two hours! I told him I’ll be reading and at peace whether on the water or the back porch. Then as we started back up the canal, the same great blue heron lifted out of the bank weeds and flew directly in front of us almost until we reached the dock! A treat for both my eyes and my heart.

We remarked about the purple irises growing in clusters on the banks. And as we drove the golf cart across the back yard and around to the front of the house, Steve shouted, “The magnolia tree! We have a bloom! No two!” As we came around the tree we both began shouting out numbers. We found eight blossoms clustered in one beautiful, fragrant bunch. My nose smiled.

Psalm 75:1; 79:13
We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near…So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations.

Joyful

MercyMe sings this in their “I Can Only Imagine” lyrics:

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine.

Like that’s a good thing! C’mon, you’ve thought it. How boring is this going to be? I’m grateful that Randy Alcorn has given me a bright and beautiful, Scripture-based picture of what I have to eagerly anticipate! But I’m sure it will include years and years, no, eons and eons, of praising God. And I just wasn’t sure I was up to it.

Before this weekend, that is. I attended a Women of Joy conference in Charleston with some friends. I’ve always loved good praise music and I love to sing. And of course I want to praise my Lord. But forever?

That was before I stood with thousands of other women praising God – clapping, singing, raising hands, dancing. Really acting foolish to anyone who didn’t understand what was going on and happened to look in off the street.

Can I just tell you that I was transported and wished it would continue for hours. Eternity? Yes, I believe so. I would have even been willing to skip meals for this! What does that tell you?

Our worship leader was Travis Cottrell and he and his band and singers did a wonderful job – as did our concert performers Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith. My girlfriends, if you have never attended a large women’s conference, it’s worth the price of admission just for the singing! I really believe it may be the closest we can get to heaven on this earth. Men, I’m sorry – I don’t know that you’ll be able to experience it unless you’re willing to brave 5000 women and more tears and emotion than you’ll encounter in a lifetime. I didn’t think so.

But I will tell you what I brought home with me. I intend to make it so much less about me and so much more about Him when I get the opportunity to sing from now on. I’ve heard of “losing yourself” in worship before and that has a new meaning for me now.

Psalm 30:11-12
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.