Has anyone else noticed the number of butterflies this year? I’m no butterfly expert, but it seems to me like they’re as plentiful this year as locusts on a seventh year. It’s almost plague-like, but the good kind.
So, I read up a little on the butterfly and found there are between 17,500 and 20,000 species of butterflies in the world. Even if there were only a thousand of each that’s 20 million butterflies. I also learned that the lifespan of a butterfly is 2-4 weeks. Talk about a lot to do in a little bit of time…
Anyhow, I understand why we have so many at our joint. We have lots of thistles. I know that thistles are weeds, they’re prickly, they spread like wildfire, and they’re super hard to get rid of, but I do love them, and so do butterflies. But the most interesting thing to me is that although the butterflies are mostly on the thistles and other brightly colored, invasive wildflowers (weeds) in our area, I’ve noticed them camping out in odd places this year.
The top picture is on a porch ottoman. This ottoman is not brightly colored, and offers no nectar or nourishment. In fact, this ottoman offers nothing more than a place to rest your wings. As I sat on that porch several butterflies were dancing around and playing hide-and-seek from the 2 year old, for literally hours.
I also saw a trio of black yellow-winged flittered for half a day on my yellow work gloves laying on the front porch glider Saturday. Each time I peeked out they were hopping on and off the gloves. Later in the day when I moved the gloves, one stayed put until I shooed it away. My gloves offered nothing substantive for them. Yes, they were brightly colored, but no nectar, no nourishment.
Then as I sit at my desk plunking these words out, I see motion and looky here. I have a spectator.
Crazy.
As I watch all the butterflies, their wings flapping earnestly to stay aloft, my thoughts drifted to my own flapping trying to stay aloft and my own need for nectar and nourishment. From time-to-time, more often than I care to admit, I have felt like those butterflies with wings a fluttering, riding the wind, dodging obstacles all the while searching for sweet nectar, nourishment, and fulfillment.
Sometimes I too have landed on the wrong thing to feed my soul. I too have flitted around from spot to spot trying to land on just the right thing that will bring a balm and sweetness to my soul. And, just like the butterfly it has at times been the wrong thing. Maybe I’ve landed in the wrong location. Maybe I too have been attracted to the shiny that promises fulfillment but has no hope of fulfilling. Maybe I too have been derailed and fallen for a yellow leather glove instead of a luscious black-eyed Susan.
I tend to think that some of my rocky landings in life are from my constant flittering about making it hard to land on the right things, the good things. Things that will bring my soul sustenance, substantiveness, satisfaction, and life. It reminds me not to try to fill my soul cup from things that don’t and won’t ever give me what I need to soar with the wind beneath my wings.
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Trusting in the Lord is my nectar, my power, my propellant. Those thousands of flying creatures remind me that my Helper, my Counselor, my Everlasting Father, my Jesus is the only One that can give me what I need to truly get off the ground.
And I will soar on wings like eagles
Held by the hand of God
I will run and not grow tired
When on His name I call
Like Eagles, Dan Moen