What Does This Have To Do With Butterflies?

Don’t live as one who has no hope.

What on earth does this have to do with butterflies? It’s not quite what you think.

It seems like it’s butterfly season in Tennessee and they’re beautiful. I took a walk this morning, a privilege in the quiet surroundings.

At first they were cute. The butterflies. Then there were so many of them flying at me that it became alarming. I started swatting them away and it seemed like more and more swarmed on me. As I walked, I started flapping my hands sideways, which was a good addition to the exercise routine but Tennessee in the summer isn’t exactly the coolest thing. These pretty things had become a sheer nuisance.

I reached the half way point and before I headed back, I decided to read a few verses from Thessalonians.

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We all know what’s going on in the world and the pandemic has a lot of people losing hope in the face of uncertainty. It can be tough to stay positive and have answers to suffering and death.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 NIV

The image of being with God forever is so comforting. How can we not have hope who believe? We can endure more if we believe. We don’t have answers, but we know our destination.

Don’t live as one who has no hope.

I often fail miserably at this depending on the circumstance and the fear. With this in mind, I started walking back with a conviction. My head snapped up a little and there was a purpose to my step.

The butterflies who had been swarming me and often landing on me suddenly started bouncing off me or simply parting in front of me. It was such a weird experience. I kept my head up, focused in front of me as my confidence increased.

All the way home, this happened. Walk. Bounce. Part. Gone. Freedom. What…?

Life can come at you with things that look enticing but in the end offer no satisfaction. You can spend your whole life distracted by what’s around you. Fighting battles that take all your energy and miss the bigger picture. The true hope to which you can find true peace.

No doubt, butterflies are beautiful. Today, they offered me a simple lesson that even beautiful things can steal our joy.