From the Pastor's Pen

Pastor Sally’s Devotional 5/18

| May 19, 2021

Dear friends,  (I never got my devotion posted yesterday.  Here it is!)

 

My granddaughter released butterflies last weekend.  I was talking with her on Sunday night at our Sunday evening zoom bedtime reading time, and I asked her about her butterflies.  She has been raising Painted Lady butterflies after my husband and I gave her a Butterfly Garden kit as an Easter present.  The kit came with a butterfly house to build out of netting and colored cardboard.  Once the house is constructed, there’s a postcard you fill out and send to the distribution house for Painted Lady caterpillars. 

 

Charlotte received her caterpillars and spent the next several weeks feeding them sugar water and leaves and then watched as they climbed a branch she had set for them in the house.  They spun their cocoons and dangled from the branch for the appropriate time as the caterpillars slowly decomposed into caterpillar soup and then reassembled their cells into butterflies.  Four butterflies emerged about 10 days ago and Charlotte decided this weekend was the right time to release them.

 

She was surprised.  The butterflies didn’t want to leave the house she had built for them.  Eventually she got them to step on a flower which she pulled out of the house into the big bright world.  The butterflies looked around for a while and then took off.  Two of them, however, immediately returned and landed on her hand where they sat for a while until they found the courage to try their wings.

 

I couldn’t help but think that we humans are an awful lot like those butterflies.  We get used to doing things the way we’ve always done them and find change unsettling.  We may be reluctant to try new things – even good new things!  We’re not sure if we can trust the new world around us.  But God is with us.  When we feel unsure, we have a hand to fly to for rest and reassurance until we are ready to try again.  Fortunately for us, our Lord is patient and kind and goes with us into the newness. We are safe with him.

 

Peace,

Pr. Sally

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