The gentle butterfly.

God is LOVE.  Pure LOVE.  Jesus came not because he had to, but in order to fulfill God’s plan for all of humanity.  So that each of our lost souls could be saved from the power of evil, and that we could experience God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  God knew what Jesus would have to endure to create the connection we can now have with The One Who Saved Us.  But can you even imagine…think about how your heart hurts when you see another in pain, let alone your own child. 

As followers of Jesus, in response to this unimaginable gift, we have the opportunity to receive Daily Bread for own soul and offer it to everyone….EVERYONE, with loving kindness, to the best of our ability.  We all fall short of this so often.  But when we extended our hand, shame on us if it is with anything but compassion.

A loving relationship sometimes hurts, but it should never harm. 

I heard a sermon recently that made everything in my being want to run the other direction.  The message was not given in a spirit of love but one of fear and intimidation.

There was an ache in my heart as I listened to the message this person was trying to convey.  There was scripture shared, but the Holy Spirit of Compassion and Love was missing, at least that’s how I received it.   As I was sitting there feeling this weight, a butterfly caught my attention.

I sat and watched a butterfly float along, a flap of its wings sending it up a bit then coasting down and then another flap and so on.  It was a perfect way for God to remind me that change and transformation is often slow, and often not visible to most.  It’s usually internal work done between you and God.  It can’t be rushed or aggressive, but gentle and in God’s perfect timing.

As a fellow wayfarer on my own path, it’s so vital that I extend the same care and tenderness to others on the journey as I would hope they extend to me.  Just because the struggle they face is different than mine, it is no less important and it is always valid. 

The ground is level at the foot of the cross.  I don’t know who to give credit for this quote, but amen and amen and amen.

A short time after that sermon, I heard a similar teaching on similar topics.  But it was given in a way that was intended to restore, not condemn, and there’s a huge difference.  The motivation is from a different place altogether.  As hearts are convicted to change and transformed lives happen, yes, it can sometimes be the result of another person bringing awareness to someone about how they are living in that moment and how it’s not honoring to themselves or to God.  That can be from a trusted friend, or it can be from a pulpit.  But hearts are fragile things.  Like that butterfly, as it was transforming, a harsh wind or storm could have ripped it away from what it was attached to.  As it emerged, it needed space and time to slowly move its wings and gain strength, not unlike the human heart and spirit.

From The Message, “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.” 1 Corinthians 13:1

Dawn