1 John 5:20 (NIV)
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given
us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is
true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Long ago, in the land of Heart, lived a fair maiden who
dared to dream dreams. As a young child, she recalled how her father would set
her on his strong knee and tell her many wondrous stories about far away and
exciting places; lands she somehow knew she would one day come to also travel
upon. Of the many tales her father would tell, there was one particular story
that always held special meaning, even carrying her into adulthood. It was the
presumed true tale of a certain species of butterfly, one that was seen by very
few. What made the butterfly highly sought after was its emerald green wings
which housed two small heart shapes, one on each wing, thus its coined name,
"the elusive butterfly of love." It was said that the person who
finds the elusive butterfly would live happily ever after, thus, it is no
wonder the maiden searched ardently for the rare insect.
As a child, the fair maiden would prance about the woods
with a butterfly net; laughing, smiling, and dancing about in glee, certain she
would soon catch the elusive butterfly, but, to no avail. Weeks turned into
months, and months into years, and the fair maiden grew older and wiser,
wondering if perhaps the elusive butterfly of love was just a silly tale that
old fishermen pass on as they sip their bottles of whiskey at sea.
One day, tired of searching, the maiden set down her net,
and placing her face in her hands she began to cry. Upon the drying of her
salty tears, the fair maiden decided to go on with living, no longer would the
search for the elusive butterfly be part of her life.
Life, indeed, did go on, and one day, when the fair
maiden was going about her daily errands, an odd-looking shape fluttered about
her head. The maiden waved her arms to shoo the insect away, but no matter what
she did, it would keep flying about.
The next day, the maiden was surprised to see the
odd-looking shape back again. Closer inspection revealed it was some sort of
moth or butterfly. In no way did it look like the elusive butterfly of love, in
fact, this butterfly's markings and colors were quite different. And so, the
fair maiden would go about her errands, and the odd-looking butterfly would
follow her, returning each day to flutter about her head. It was not long
before the fair maiden and the butterfly formed a unique relationship. For some
odd reason, the butterfly seemed to enjoy the maiden's company, and the fair
maiden felt a sense of peace and comfort, knowing her winged companion would
never leave her side.
Many years passed, and one day, for some strange reason,
the fair maiden recalled how she used to search for the elusive butterfly of
love. In fact, the more she looked at her faithful winged companion, the more
she wondered about the validity of the story of the elusive butterfly.
Curiosity soon began to turn into discontentment with the butterfly she had
devoted so much of her life to. "Look at you," she whispered to her
faithful companion as he sat upon her finger, "You are not beautiful
emerald green. Now, especially after so many years, your wings are dull and
frayed. Do not worry though, my little friend, you are not the elusive
butterfly of love, but you have been faithful, good, and true. I will keep you
by my side always."
The maiden set down her winged companion and went outside
to the rose garden to get a breath of fresh air, and what did she see? Green as
a sparkling cut emerald fluttering about, a pink heart on each wing; the
elusive butterfly of love! Like a young school girl, the maiden pranced with
glee, scarcely able to believe her eyes! Suddenly, it dawned on the maiden that
now she must decide what to do; should she run for a net, or just watch the
elusive butterfly as it flutters about her garden, soon to fly away and most
likely never be seen again. Joy turned to sadness as the maiden knew what she
must do. The maiden gave the elusive butterfly one final look, acknowledging
his existence, and turning away, walked out of the garden to return to her
faithful winged companion who had befriended her so many years ago.
Inside the house, the maiden was shocked to see her dear
friend looking strangely ill. His wings beat weakly, and he could not even
manage to fly. The maiden gently picked up her companion and caressed him in
the palm of her hand, clearly evident he was at the end of his life. Upon the
butterfly's final breath, the maiden shed many tears, tears which flowed over
her loving companions frail body. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a glimmer of
light came from out of her hand. "What is this?" the maiden thought.
The ragged wings of her beloved companion seemed to reveal under them something
more lovely. Carefully, and tenderly, the maiden peeled away the tattered, old
shell which encased her winged friends body, to reveal beautiful wings of
emerald green, a small pink heart on each side. Both tears and joy filled the
maiden's heart, and her story was thus passed down by old fishermen who sipped
whiskey at the sea.
Aren't we all guilty to some degree of searching for or
desiring something that, in most cases, is right under our very noses?
Thankfully, unlike the above fictional story, love is not elusive at all, and
in fact, it is all around us, if we would only fearlessly trust, God.
God’s love is right there for each of us. Let’s not miss
the fact that God has what we need right under our nose.
Dear Lord, Thanks for Your love. Help us not ever look
past the fact that it is right there where we need it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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