As we enter April, I am hoping that spring will finally arrive, closely followed by summer. I am looking forward to flowers, sunshine, warmth, butterflies, and so many other things we haven’t seen in months. There’s just such an obvious promise of new life that comes with this time of the year. I can’t wait for all of that!
I especially look forward to seeing butterflies. They are some of my favorite creatures on earth. They are so delicate and dainty, yet they are strong can hold their own in the wind. They are also so colorful and beautiful that they make me smile.
Butterflies are also a sign of new life. When Art and I were looking to purchase our home 20 years ago, we had a realtor who always wore a butterfly pin on her shoulder. She was a lifelong diabetic, who was diagnosed back in the 1940s. That was an era when medicine didn’t really know exactly how to treat diabetes. Insulin was first discovered in 1921, but even in the 1940s there was still much to learn. For our realtor, her father was a doctor so he used all of his medical knowledge to keep his young daughter alive. Because of the struggles she had with her diabetes, she appreciated how fragile life could be. She wore the butterfly pin every day as a reminder of the new life she was given each and every day. She greatly appreciated the time she had been given on earth.
On April 9 this year, we will celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus had died on the cross on Good Friday and rose from the dead Easter morning. He was transformed in just a few short days. Throughout the ages, butterflies have been used to represent this transformation. A caterpillar wraps itself in a cocoon and comes out a butterfly. Jesus’ body was put into a tomb, and the resurrected Christ came forth out of it. Therefore, butterflies remind us of the greatest story ever told, the story of our faith.
Drew Barrymore said, “I’ve always loved butterflies, because they remind us that it’s never too late to transform ourselves.” Amen to that! No matter our age or our circumstances in life, we always have the opportunity to transform. It might be small changes, but it might be large changes. We can do these things because of Christ who gives us the strength to accomplish them.
Have a blessed Easter!
Pastor Beth
920-562-2853
pastorbmacha@yahoo.com
