Butterfly kisses from on high

It was a symbol of the soul during early Christianity. It is a symbol of joy in China.The beautiful butterfly, with its power of flight, emerges from the seemingly lifeless cocoon: a perfect symbol of the Resurrection. To Native Americans, the butterfly is a symbol of change, joy and color.

When God created heaven and earth and all things contained therein, I think he really took his time when it came time to make the butterfly.

1. Their ability to fly enables them to spread.
2. They are extremely adaptable to their environment and climatic conditions.
3. Their external skeleton provides a kind of armor of self-protection.
4. Their small size keeps their demands meager and accessible.
5. The ability to delay fertilization until conditions are beneficial enables their species to survive.
6. They undergo multiple changes/metamorphosis to facilitate and carry on life.

I like to think of women as butterflies. Our ability to float in the air. Our pallet of vibrant colors, our ability to change and evolve when our lives require it. Women, like butterflies appear light and non-threatening to our environment. We are expected at times to be seen and not heard especially in the less developed parts of our world. But just like the butterfly women are constantly giving birth to new ideas, making plans, working on activities, or building qualities in ourselves or others. We are filled with creativity that sometimes just needs time to be shaped, formed, developed and honed. When we are given room to evolve anything we choose can be  accomplished. With our wings spread wide open brand new horizons spring forth. Why wouldn't we find these horizons? Butterflies spend most of their early life fighting their way out of a tiny hole in the cocoon. Their very survival depends on making it to the other side. Butterflies were born ugly and each fought to become the unique specimen it evolved into. Women are like that. We work extremely hard, under sometimes extreme forces, to become our best representation of what God intended. Sometimes we grow into our very acceptance of our beauty.

So every time I see a butterfly, especially a butterfly in flight,  I think of God throwing down  to us, a butterfly kiss from on high. A nice gentle reminder that he sees us, and to keep on keeping on. I am reminded mostly of the monarch butterfly who flies superbly against the wind.