A Butterfly, An Earwig, and A Wren (04/17/2026)

I was sitting on my porch, just having written in my journal, all was good, when a movement to my left drew my attention. I turned to find a white butterfly (it could have been a moth, but I prefer to think it was a butterfly). I watched it as it flitted about over the lawn. It was like a dance. I smiled. It was my first butterfly of the season.

Then I noticed a slight movement slightly to the right. I took my eyes off the butterfly and shifted them to the brown movement on my porch screen. It was an earwig. It also told me that spring had arrived, but it was not as pleasing a discovery as the butterfly. I got up, captured it and released it outside with strict instructions to avoid these premises in the future unsure if he understood a word.

Then, just as I returned to my chair on the porch there was a rapid movement by the tree. I looked to see what it was that was darting about there and spied my first wren of the season. She was checking out the wren house hanging from the pine branch just outside our porch. I held my breath as she flitted about the exterior until she came to the circular entrance, peeked in and then entered. I was overjoyed. I think our wren house just got its newest tenant.

As I sat and watched the wren pop in and out, starting over again, I realized that I’d just witnessed a pretty good documentary on life in general. Into our life and our days, there will come delightful surprises, some unwanted elements, and some hopes realized. God is good all the time. I gave thanks for the time and presence to witness what I had and to realize that it is part of life.

Jesus understood our journey because He made it himself. He was delightfully surprised often by the appearance of a faithful person. He encountered numerous unwanted elements such as the leaders who felt threatened by Him and the skeptics who refused to believe. And He had hopes for us and for His mission among us and for us. And daily He took time for prayer.

Today, let us on our journeys in His footsteps pray that we will be people of faith, people of prayer, people of gratitude for the goodness we receive, people of strength to withstand the unpleasant and unwanted tests, and people of hope.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.