Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Bible Meditation and Watching Butterflies


"Blessed is the man...[whose] delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-2


I recently travelled with my family to Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Calloway is an incredible place to experience the glory of creation in many ways. Since it was a rainy day when we visited, our family ended up spending a great deal of time in the butterfly observatory.

Upon entering the observatory proper, we were amazed to be in a room with incredibly high humidity and warmer temperatures than was outside on a particularly cool and dreary day. I quickly walked around the glass enclosed round room and took note of the various plants and flowers and fountains. I noticed a small "pond" with some large Japanese coi. Elijah immediately asked for a quarter so he could buy food to feed the fish. He did not notice that the in one area of the pond that there was food floating where the fish had, obviously, been overfed. All of this just served to distract us from the real purpose of the observatory--watching butterflies.

We, again, began to move around quickly and then it dawned on me. I had not seen but one or two butterflies. I drifted over toward an area near these incredible red flowers where I noticed a sign. The sign instructed observers to stand or sit quietly and to not engage in any sudden movements. The sign promised that if one followed these simple instructions that the buttefly observing would be more profitable and enjoyable.

I sat down on a bench and got quiet. I could hear my kids off in other parts of the observatory (it has been said they are loud!). Then quietly. Mysteriously. Suddenly. Joyfully one appeared right in front of my eyes. Now he had been there all along but I only "saw" him when I got quiet and really looked. On a tree to my left about four feet away was a beautfiul brown and gold butterfly whose markings made him appear to be part of the tree. In moving around quickly, I missed him. When I sat to "meditate" on butterflies, he appeared in such a wonderful way.

A few moments leater, a gorgeous gold and orange butterfly lighted down on top of a stand prepared with cut bananas and oranges. There I saw this gentle creature feeding on the banana. It was simply miraculous observing his life and movement. Soon, thereafter, he was joined by two others coming to feed.

Then I say an amazing sight. The most splending blue I had ever seen. A buttefly glided peacefully onto a leaf. When she closed her wings, the blue disappeared and she revealed golden brown, black and ivory. I really wanted to see the blue again, which was only visible when the butterfly took flight. After several minutes of no movement at all, she lifted off displaying the sapphire blaze on the inside of her wings. She circled around my head several times and then off to some other part of the observatory. Upon sitting in another part of the observatory for some time, I was able to experience here beauty again. What a glorious creature God had created.

I almost missed it all. I had been in too much of a hurry. How unfortunate if I had missed it.
It was only in stopping and receiving the instructions on the sign that led to those moments being transformed to glory.

That experience with the butterflies has taught me much about spending time with the Lord in His Word.

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