Nature is one of the channels God uses to breathe life into fainting spirits and to give assurance that He is still in control over all, no matter what happens in our lives and in this world.
At the end of May, my youngest brother was admitted to ICU with severe pancreatitis. I cried out to God to heal him and spare his life. I was afraid, and I could not trust God’s plan for him. Other anxieties for those struggling emotionally, stories not mine to tell, were also storming in my heart, threatening to drown me.
One day I took a walk and spotted a Monarch and a Painted Lady on a lilac bush. As I gazed in awe, the storm in my heart stilled as God whispered, “I’m with him, My child. I’ve got him. I’m with those who are emotionally in pain. I am with you.” The heavy load that threatened to crush me drained from me, and I could release all of them to His care and His plan.
Some time later, I was with some of my siblings and families in a park. It had been my turn this year to plan a reunion, and I needlessly worried about it for months. I love them all dearly, but crowds aren’t my thing. I’m more a one-on-one gal. I was also worried about over-doing it, because sometimes when I get out of my slower routine, health repercussions follow. Probably deeper though was the anxiety I have for anyone hurting and the helplessness I feel that I can’t “fix” things. (I’m still a work in progress in surrendering everyone’s needs to God.) As I sat at a table underneath a shelter, my heart felt grieved, my spirit disconnected, and my body tired and achy. Then there it was! A butterfly fluttering near me! And God whispered, “I’m here. I’m still with you” as He breathed His sufficient grace into my weariness. Later on, the butterfly flew by again with its reassuring love note. Thank You, God!
God continued to send me love notes through butterflies at timely moments throughout the summer. I could be looking out the window at home, driving along in our van, or taking a walk.
What was your summer like? I know many of you are suffering from losses in one way or another, and I’m so sorry. It can be hard to open our hearts to God’s messages of comfort when we are weighed down with grief, can’t it? I pray God strengthens each of you.
Did God sometimes strengthen or comfort you through His creation? How? Please feel free to share with us!
“The Lord Himself goes before you
and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8
but they still fly and spread God’s encouragement.
♥️ A lesson for us that God can use us, no matter how broken we are. ♥️
He Is With Us
by Love and The Outcome
“Remember when your hope is lost and faith is shaken
Remember when you wonder if you’re gonna make it
There’s a hand stretched out through your deepest doubt
We can’t pretend to see the ending or what’s coming up ahead
To know the story of tomorrow
But we can stay close to the One who knows
We can trust our God
He knows what He’s doing
though it might hurt now
We won’t be ruined
It might seem there’s an ocean in between
But He’s holding on to you and me
And He’s never gonna leave, no
He is with us, He is with us (always, always)
He is with us, He is with us (always)”
(P.S. My brother’s life was spared!)
Freed to Fly 
Oh, thank you, Trudy, for your encouraging message today! How wonderful it is that the butterflies became God’s messengers to you at precisely the times you needed to hear from Him. Sometimes the smallest glimpse of God’s wondrous creation is enough to calm us and have us thanking God for His great love.
Blessings, my friend!
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God’s timing is amazing, isn’t it, Martha? Yes, the smallest glimpse of His wondrous creation truly can calm us. If we open our hearts to it. Blessings to you, too! May we open our hearts to God’s messengers of love in His creation always!
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Oh Trudy, yes our Lord is so gracious to send us those little love notes! I love the way that He met you at just the right moments with those butterfly gifts. This summer as my husband and I were on the ride home from my MRI test, several butterflies flew in front of us as we neared home. Those little love-notes were just the encouragement I needed that day to remember His nearness to me also. Thank you for sharing such encouragement, even as I begin therapy today. He is here now too! Love and blessings to you this week, dear friend!
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I’m so grateful God sends you those little love notes, too, Bettie. They help us to keep going, don’t they? I pray the therapy helps you! Yes, He is here now, too! Love and blessings to you, too! May we always remember His nearness, even in those times when He seems to stand afar off!
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Nothing recalibrates me like getting outdoors. God’s creation soars and sings, calms and intrigues, doesn’t it, Trudy.
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Yes, it truly does, Linda. Our sensors need those adjustments, don’t they? I love the verbs you give to God’s creation. 🙂 Soars, sings, calms, intrigues. Beautifully said. You and your family remain in my heart and prayers. May God give you many of those calming moments even though it hurts so much! A song by Kari Jobe just came to me:
“Wish it could be easy
Why is life so messy?
Why is pain a part of us?
There are days I feel like
Nothing ever goes right
Sometimes it just hurts so much
But You’re here
You’re real
I know I can trust You
Even when it hurts
Even when it’s hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
‘Cause I know that You are
Lover of my soul
Healer of my scars
You steady my heart
You steady my heart…”
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I love how God sent the butterflies to encourage you and reassure you of his presence! I am always restored by time in nature too. It always relaxes me and reminds me of God’s power and care. Beautiful post, Trudy!
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That’s the effect nature has on me, too, Lesley. It surely does remind us of God’s power and care. Such a great blessing to relax and unwind. May we see God’s message of love in it every moment!
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I love how God uses His creation to reassure us of His love & presence! The Sea does it for me, something about the water. I’m glad your brother has healed!
You’re most welcome to join me in a cuppa,
Bless you,
Jennifer
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Oh yes, Jennifer. I love how He reassures us through His creation. Thank you for inviting me for tea with you. 🙂 I checked out your site and signed up. However, my comment to your post did not show up and when I tried again, it said there’s a duplicate comment. That must be so relaxing to live near the sea in Australia. That night sky photo is breathtaking! I think your seasons are opposite of ours. You are nearing the end of winter now, right? May God give us many more reassurances of His love and presence through His creation!
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For some reason your comment went to spam, it’s up now 😀 I’m so glad you enjoyed our time together!
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Thanks, Jennifer. 🙂
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I’m so sorry to hear that your brother had such a horrible time with pancreatitis, Trudy! 😦 It is such a hard thing. I’m glad that he wasn’t taken from you.
Blessings to you for agreeing to plan the reunion at all. It would be a difficult thing for me to do. ha.
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Thank you, Lisa. It was scary. I’m so grateful we may keep him yet. It’s strange how I still think of him as my “little” brother even though he’s probably ten inches taller than I am! Planning a reunion was difficult for me, too, but at least I have a breather for a few years. I have six siblings and we take turns. 🙂 My sister told me I could have passed, but I made it! It helps when everyone is so helpful. 🙂 May God help us introverts to keep stepping out of our comfort zones!
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Awww, Trudy. I love how God sends you butterflies to remind you He’s always with you…that He’s holding your loved ones in the palms of His hands.
One of my boys volunteered in a beautiful part of our city this summer. Though driving him took time each morning, that drive also gave me the opportunity to see that part of our city in the morning light, and it was beautiful. I took some time to snap photos, just because it makes my heart happy…and because it reminds me of God’s graciousness and love. 🙂
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That’s a wonderful way to put it, Jeanne. That taking photos of the beauty “makes my heart happy.” Yes. 🙂 I love that it reminds you of God’s graciousness and love. Good for your son! And good for you for allowing him to go even though it took time each morning. 🙂 I hope your son is doing better with the concussion and then getting sick. May we keep our hearts open to God’s graciousness and love even when things don’t go the way we’d like them to!
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I hope your brother is doing better Trudy, and the reunion was a blessed time with your family. Butterflies are beautiful creatures that represent the good change that happens when we just be ourselves, aren’t they? May you continue to be you!
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Thank you, Lynn. My brother is still not back to work. It has been a long, rough road for him. The pancreas part has settled, but he also has been having severe back pain that it’s hard to even walk. He’s been getting chiropractic and therapy treatment. He’s improved quite a bit, but his back is still not good. They gave him another injection this week, his third one. He couldn’t make it to the reunion, so that was sad. He was out of ICU by then but still in the hospital for some time. I wanted to change the date, but it was the only time my brother and his wife were here from Arizona, so we went ahead with it. Those from further away still visited him. I love your thoughts about the butterflies representing the good change that happens when we just be ourselves! So true. So often God reminds me when I’m anxious about being in a crowd or meeting a group, “Just be yourself.” And usually it goes much better than I imagine. 🙂 May we both be given the grace to just be who God created us to be!
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What a beautiful post, Trudy (including my favorite Bible verse, Deut. 31:8). 🙂 I hope your brother continues to heal … I’m so sorry that his health journey has been so hard. And how gracious of God to send those butterflies your way just when you needed a reminder of His presence. Love and hugs to you, my friend!
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Thank you, Lois. That verse has often had special meaning to me, too. I just read your comment at Mary’s, and I’m so glad you have experienced that “God’s peace is the gift in the perfect storm of life.” So true, isn’t it? I hope you are still having those times of peace. Love and hugs to you, too! May God continue to strengthen us with His gift of peace in the storms of life!
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I am so thankful your brother is okay. I understand what it feels like to be anxious about family members and loved ones. I have lived through that myself. Praying for you as we walk through the rest of summer and begin fall.
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Thank you, Mary. It’s easy to feel anxious about loved ones, isn’t it? I can’t believe it’s nearly fall already. May we more and more trust God with our loved ones and His plan for them, however hard it may be!
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I’m so thankful that God speaks to you through His flying flowers. I say a prayer for you every time I see one 🙂
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That’s so sweet of you, June! Thank you! I love your word for butterflies – “His flying flowers.” 🙂 How are you? I miss your posts and refreshing nature photos. Wherever we may be at in life, may God refresh our spirits with the beauty in His creation!
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I love the birds at our feeders and the butterflies also! I think this summer, though, I have been more calmed by God’s majesty in the skies, sunsets, storm clouds, lightning, rainbows, fluffy bright white clouds in a blue sky! I also find the night sounds very calming, especially cicadas and tree frogs.
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God’s majesty and glory are definitely displayed in all His creation, aren’t they, Ruth? Thank you for sharing what specifically has calmed you this summer. I find the cicadas calming, too. They have been around here early this year. I had to check out what a tree frog sounds like. There are so many different ones! That must be awesome to hear. It brings back the nostalgia of hearing the sound of frogs in the nearby creek when I was growing up on a farm. Thank you! May the glory of God in His creation continually awe us!
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I think this is the one.
I can easily tell in the spring before the cicadas and crickets start their choir, but at this time of year the “songs” all seem to blend together. 😄
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Beautiful song! 🙂 Thank you for refreshing my spirit today, Ruth!
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Did the YouTube link come through? I don’t see it in the comment.
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Yes, it did. I see it in the comment from my end. 🙂
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Oh, ok! It seems to be showing on the actual website but not in the WordPress app.
I’m glad it blessed you! What’s really awesome is hearing a bunch of them “singing” at the same time! 😊
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That would be awesome! Thank you again, Ruth.
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No problem, sister!
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