By now, you must know of my preoccupation with butterflies.  The end of June, I could be found in Butterfly Heaven!  Well, that’s what I renamed it. I was at the Butterfly House in Chesterfield, Missouri, just outside of St Louis. Four plus hours were spent there taking a ridiculous number of pictures of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen. God is such an artist of masterpeices!
     The majority of butterflies seen earlier in the day were in flight or only momentarily pausing for a still shot. Initially, I was running around like a crazy woman attempting to capture as many still shots as I could.  Most of these were composed of butterflies with their wings in the closed, upright position. In all His wisdom, God created these marvelous creatures to hide their beauty and actually scare away predators with the designs on the underside of their wings. Some looked as though they had huge, scary eyes while others simply blended in with the landscape. Their true beauty was hidden from my camera lens and all of us there.
     Butterflies are most active between one and three in the afternoon.  Of course, I was still there around four when they had pretty much exhausted themselves (as had I) and were beginning to feed on the beautiful flowers filling the area. It was at that time they presented themselves with wings fully open in all their splendor. Their beauty was no longer hidden but fully exposed. It was then that a connection could be made between the drab underside and the exquisite open wingspan of many of the ones witnessed earlier. And many more pictures were made to record this transformation!

     Thoughts came to mind how we as Christians are not unlike these butterflies. We, too, are masterpieces made by God, in His image.  In His sight, we are creations made to display His beauty. Yet, we tend to live our lives with wings folded, hiding out in the drabness of a sinful world, neglecting to do what we are made to do.  And what is that you might ask?  FLY! Open those delicate wings designed by God and bring the grace and beauty of His message to a lost, troubled world. Show them the beauty given you as a result of God’s love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. FLY! Bring color and hope and answers to those around you. FLY! Be all that God has created and purposed you to be in this world for Him! You will not be alone.  God is there supplying the wind beneath your wings, keeping you aloft as you navigate through this life on your mission for Him. FLY! Ok…so I took 641 pictures!  To God Be the Glory!