Butterflies with diamonds

I wish I had my camera with me. How many times have you said those words to yourself? Yesterday was such a day when hubby and I had to run a couple of errands and we stopped by the walking/bicycling trail on the way home. I would walk twenty minutes and then enjoy the scenery while waiting for him to return to the park bench.

We don't actually walk together, anymore. He is soon out of my sight as I move much slower than my former power walking days. At least I'm moving. While only a few miles from my house at the edge of the forest, the trail is set in the grasslands. In the distance one views lines of trees where forest areas begin but in the immediate line of sight, it is the beauty of the wild grasses, flowers, and maze that I so enjoy... that combination of forests and fields which defines the Midwest.

It didn't take long for the lavender-purple wildflowers to pull my attention from that which was far away. The native plants were growing everywhere along the trail. While beautiful in themselves, it wasn't the flowers that caused me to stop walking and make my way within a foot or two of the rows of color. For each bush of purple flowers was covered by chartreuse butterflies and honey bees.

How nice it would have been to have a child at my side as I could not take my eyes off the butterflies, beauty shared is so much nicer. I had never seen anything like them. As they rested on the purple flowers, their tiny wings would fold flat and one could view the underside... which appeared to be covered with diamonds.

The tiny dots sprinkled across each little wing actually glittered in the sunlight... hundreds of yellow-green butterflies sitting on purple wildflowers and surrounded by an equal number of bees buzzing as they went about their important work... and the wings glittered as if they were ladies all dressed up for a fancy ball.

How like our Creator. He is the original Artist who enjoyed gilding the lily. Each butterfly would easily be appreciated just for the color and He had to add... sparkle.

I have been asked many times how each of my children grew up to make God an important part of their life. Instead I wish the common question would be... how could they not? In our family, He was ever present.

When we would come upon such a scene as butterflies with diamonds sharing the flowers with bees, leaves which lose their green only to show off their colorful undergarments, the way the colors of each season blend together perfectly with all that surrounds them, that our taste buds delight in pumpkin and cinnamon and nutmeg as the air grows colder... no, it was easy to make Him the center of all things.

I thought of His wisdom as many trees and bushes are forming berries on branches to provide food for the bird's winter meals. How lovely it is that the cardinal stays behind each year to give those who are looking shades of red against the white snow.

Was it man who decided red is the perfect color for the occasional barn or was it Someone whispering in the ear of humanity as decisions were being made... and later smiling as we gasp at the beauty of the red against the snow in January as the shades of black and gray in each tree offered their own architecture. I suppose all artists and builders inherently learn from the Artist.

For some of us, we could no more leave God out of the equation as we could stop breathing and exist. Especially when I find diamonds on the back of butterflies... and, no... I never did get back to my exercise.

Picture: End of Harvest; allposters.com