the beauty of God, the beauty in nature, and the beauty in His still small voice

I went to Lake Bonny Park for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least fifty minutes. As I walked from my car, I began my journey on the path that winds all the way around the park. As I walked, I began thanking God for the beauty that I saw. This beauty, that I so often take for granted and do not recognize. I enjoyed the heat of the morning sun, as it turned to afternoon and I felt a refreshing, cool breeze as it blew through my hair. As I went on this walk, talking to God, I began asking Him questions about why He had called me so far from home. I continued on the path and looked ahead, only to see a butterfly on the path in front of me. I stopped and squatted down, eager to see the beautiful colors and designs within the wings on the butterfly. As I looked more closely at it, I realized that the butterfly had something wrong with one of its wings. The butterfly was not able to enjoy the beauty of the nature. I sat there for a few minutes, trying to figure out if I could help him at all, but eventually, I slowly walked away.

As I continued to walk down the nature path I began seeing several butterfly’s. I saw big ones and small ones and brown ones and yellow ones. They were all beautiful, but part of what made them beautiful was the way that they were flying and experiencing life. They had freedom, and with that freedom they had wonder, wonders to experience the beauty that God had provided for them. And experience, they did! They flew back in forth, in and out of the bushes, into the grass, and back into the freedom of the air. They had been given freedom, they had been set on a journey of life, and they were experiences everything they could.

As I saw this, God began to speak to me about my life. He challenged me with the thought of what am I doing to experience this new life that He has given me? He challenged me to enjoy the simple moments. Although I may miss my friends and family, I must move on, and I must enjoy the moments that he has given me now and here, in Florida, because I am here for this season and I do not know how long it will last.

My trip to the park was a renewing time. I was renewed in spirit and in soul. I was reminded to never forget the beauty in my first love. I was reminded not to live in the past, not to live in the future, but to live in the present, to live in each moment that God has given me.