Beautiful butterflies, flying here and there, drinking nectar from this flower and that flower .....
...... or are they? These little brown critters can't be butterflies. After all ....
..... we all know that butterflies are bright and colorful! Of course .....
.... these little brown critters can't be butterflies.
We all have been taught dissimilar things and have different preconceived notions; from food to eat to how to behave in public to what a butterfly is. Very few people would realize that all of the above photos are of butterflies. As humans, we tend to place value on bright colorful butterflies and dismiss dark, dull, and small butterflies.
Look at the photos below. We normally give more attention and value to bright colorful daytime butterflies and ignore the huge beautiful night-time moths like these. Yes, all photos below are of moths.
We tend to ‘love’ only certain butterflies and moths and not other butterflies and moths. We ‘love’ many creatures in varying degrees depending entirely on the way they look or act.
If a little tattered brown Duskywing butterfly could become a large majestic Monarch butterfly, most humans would 'love' it more.
What if God loved like we do, his love depending upon how we look or act? I'm so glad that God already loves us totally, fully, and completely.
We can't do anything to cause God to love us more.
If a little tattered brown Duskywing butterfly could become a large majestic Monarch butterfly, most humans would 'love' it more.
What if God loved like we do, his love depending upon how we look or act? I'm so glad that God already loves us totally, fully, and completely.
We can't do anything to cause God to love us more.
He loved us so much that he planned for a way for us (mankind) to be reunited with him. He loved us that much BEFORE we accepted him. Love can't be greater than that. He can't love us more if we're bright and beautiful, with fewer tatters. He wouldn’t love us more if we spend more time in prayer and studying his word, drawing closer to him and loving him more. He won't love us more if we help others more. He won't love us more if we love others more. He may approve of our actions more but not love us more.
We can love him more but he can't love us more. He always has loved us to the very maximum that anyone or anything can be loved.
We can put ourselves in a position where WE can love God more. WE can learn from God more. We can be closer to God. But God has already loved us and does love us to the extreme.
Romans 5:8
"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
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I had a caterpillar named "Lizzette." I brought her home from the park, along with leaves from the host plant, and fed her for about three weeks. I sent a photo of her to a knowledgeable butterfly person, who identified her as a MOTH... a MOTH!!! I couldn't believe it. I'd just assumed it had to be a butterfly because as a caterpillar, she was such a beautiful color. Needless to say, I was disappointed, but decided to love her in spite of her not being what I wanted her to be. This I did by meeting her need for beebrush leaves, since, after all, I took her away from her natural environment and shouldn't abandon her just because she would become a moth. (I'm scared of moths.) One time I almost killed her, accidentally, but miraculously (or so it seemed to me), she survived, and I was so relieved!! I had to return to the park several times to collect more host plant for her to eat. Finally (!) she pupated, and she is now nestled under a rug of black and gray silk, or could part of that rug be her old skin which was covered in black hairs? I don't know, but I'm still waiting for her to be transformed into a salt marsh moth. They are very pretty if you like black and white-- tho' I'm NOT looking forward to her flying in my face or hair some night on the front porch when I least expect it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is what God did for me, but on a much grander scale. He provided not just food, clothing, and shelter, but a Savior-- His own SON! And He did this unconditionally. I was a much worse catch than a salt marsh moth caterpillar, but He spared no expense to save me. I really appreciate what you've said here, Edith, and can totally identify! Thank you, and I look forward to reading more of what you have learned in raising and studying butterflies and moths.