Times of Refreshing

Last August, we went to Vancouver for the first time. We had the kids with us, so one afternoon we took them to the Aquarium in Stanley Park. There is a section where they have plants and mist coming down. It is where all the butterflies are.

We were walking through this section and Abby was just staring at all the butterflies flapping about. Eventually, they would get tired and would land on one of the big green leaves along the path. The problem, though, was that the area was VERY crowded. In no time, a child or parent would brush up against the leaf. Then, the leaf would shake and the butterfly would take flight for fear of falling.

There was this one butterfly, though, which sat on a leaf near Abby. I told her if she gently placed her hand near it, slowly and without shaking the leaf, that maybe the butterfly would crawl onto her finger. She gently laid her finger next to its body. Sure enough, a few moments later it crawled onto her finger and let go of the leaf. Then she slowly raised her hand.

Now, she had the attention of everyone in the area! All the kids wished they could hold it, too. No one moved near her. Even the littlest of kids would walk several steps away from her to keep from knocking it off. The butterfly was content; it didn’t even flutter when I used my flash on my camera to take a picture. And there stood Abby in the middle of it all, smiling from ear to ear, proudly showing off the creature on her finger.

As Beth Moore talked about her grandmother and resting in God, I couldn’t take my mind off of that day. She said, “We think if we light down for a second, God’s going to whack us.” Isn’t that the truth! I thought of all the times I rebelliously refused to rely on God because I wasn’t ready and willing for another trial in life. But, Beth’s right. It’s not about whacking, it is about protecting.

We are like the butterflies. We go about in our own strength, flapping about. We try to make things work, but we can’t keep it up. We either have to rest on something or die flapping. So, finally, we rest on what seems the best. But too often, it is all an illusion. Our solutions are weak, and as soon as a strong wind blows, our leaves flap about. We get scared. Then we do something truly stupid. We hold on tighter or we take off again on our own. Either way, we are doomed. If we hold on, eventually a strong enough wind will come that will knock us to the ground. If we fly off, we will again get tired in our own strength.

What we miss is the hand of God. It is outstretched waiting for us to land in it. If we make it to a leaf, it is beside us, patiently waiting for us to crawl onto it. If only we would! He’d gently lift us up away from our sin and illusions and closer to His heart. He’d protect us from the world around us that threatens us. He may allow some trials, like the flashing of a camera, but we would rest easy knowing we are safe in His hands. As we rest in Him, we would truly reflect something that others would be envious of. And God would be standing there, proud just to have you near Him.

I wish I were always the brave little butterfly that climbed into God’s hands. As I read and reread the chapters, I asked God to show me the areas of disobedience I struggle with. I think each of the six characteristics have been my downfall at some point. I, like Samm, probably rely most on deceit. I buy into the lies, the negative. (Why is the negative so much easier to believe?) My prayer, though, is that I will draw closer and closer to God. That He will show me when I start veering into disobedience. That I will seek Him daily and know His heart and will.

I'm long winded again, I know. I swear one time soon it will be short and sweet. :)