I glimpse a butterfly…
sitting still, resting…
wings opening and closing.
The opens wings have colors blazing…
the wings closed are identical…but muted…hushed.
Then it takes to the wind…
flying inconstant…rising…falling…
its path is ethereal, unpredictable…
and still enough to fly.
Love believes…
Love is gratitude…
Thank you
God…
#902… that the dazzling butterfly wings of faith are frail, but sufficient…
and Your grace makes my faith, my unsteady flight of faith…
altogether acceptable…for heaven…for eternity…
and abundantly suitable…for the here…for the now.
#903… that a perfect life is not required…
neither perfect obedience nor perfect hope nor perfect love nor perfect faith…
but a quest for perfection with more than enough of Your grace for the quest.
#904… that things that are small…
things weak, and not enough…
with time, if nurtured, grow.
#905… that you know how doubt creeps around the edges of faith…
like a spider looking for a way in…
like an arrow aimed, and slicing through the air…
…toward the weakest part of the armor…
and the shield…
of faith.
#906…that I know that You know.
And I watch in the early morning as Laska the love Kitty burrows his way under bunch of tissue paper. I bought plastic for my car windows last week, as a temporary repair, after the massive storm shattered them all.
The plastic came with this tissue paper.
I know, it doesn’t look like much, and if I were married I wouldn’t be able to leave it on my floor for a week. But Laska hearts how it makes crinkly noises when he’s on top of it…
…and how it’s a cave when it’s on top of him.
It’s warm, it’s safe, and becoming ever more familiar.
Thank you God…
#907…for faith that covers and protects me…
like the tissue cave does for Laska…
warm, safe, comfortable…
and ever more familiar.
And I think of Your words to Peter:
“…I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 21:31,32)
You prayed for his faith not to fail…
knowing there’d be a turning back after it did.
Even his failed faith was not a failure.
#908… that you’ve told me…and sometimes I remember.
#909… that You were patient and kind while I froze from the damage and loss of the storm, and have not all too quickly “turned back”.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I love #907. I can visualize it. I can feel it. And I’ve experienced it lately when I tried unsuccessfully to defend my faith when attacked by naysayers. In the end, I didn’t care about their opinions, only His. And I prayed that I showed faith enough so He wouldn’t be disappointed. Then He cloaked me in peace, my own tissue paper cave 😉
I wish I was more like you Carrie, not caring about what the naysayers say – but I do – a carryover from being a kid who wanted always to be the center of attention – and have everybody like him. Because you are so right – it’s what the God of the universe thinks that’s important – not so much with the creations do – and it’s good to have tissue paper cave. No? God bless you my friend, and thank you.
I used to care a lot about others’ opinions, especially what “they” thought of me. But something wonderful happens when a mother turns forty 😉
Hasn’t happened to me yet…and passed that 40 mark a while ago…but then…I’m not a mama. ツ
To know that failed faith is not a failure, that I can turn back, that HE has prayed for little old me. . . . what a sustaining thought for the day. And “more than enough of Your grace!” That should be a song! I will be thinking on that beautiful phrase for a while, Craig. It’s taken a lifetime to grasp the end of the rope of grace. . . only to find that it’s been tied to me since I became His child. I loved your whole list today. Can’t find one that was better than another. So I’ll take them all and savor them. And leave the tissue down for Laska until he’s done with it! The best toys are the free ones!!!
Cora, I WILL leave the tissue down for him – he hearts the tissue – but he also hearts his favorite box, his two scratching posts, his little scratchy paddy things, and assorted mice, and little balls, and his tunnel, and round circle catch the ball thing, and the occasional spider caught in Tupperware, and the list goes on. I think there’s a post in that…ツ God bless!!
To know that failed faith is not a failure, that I can turn back, that HE has prayed for little old me. . . . what a sustaining thought for the day. And “more than enough of Your grace!” That should be a song! I will be thinking on that beautiful phrase for a while, Craig. It’s taken a lifetime to grasp the end of the rope of grace. . . only to find that it’s been tied to me since I became His child. I loved your whole list today. Can’t find one that was better than another. So I’ll take them all and savor them. And leave the tissue down for Laska until he’s done with it! The best toys are the free ones!!!
oh, and I’m keeping your second comment up because I think it’s a really good example of the whole “imperfect faith not being failing faith” thing – get it? ツ
Craig, you shared deep and true and good things here, and then I saw the Laska pictures and they were just sooooo shiny to me! They are, admittedly, just delightful. I laugh every time I look at that rascal, that sort-of-innocent rascal! The last one is the most heartable and most favorite. 🙂
and he is an innocent rascal. He’s so well trained – people marvel when they see us on our walks, how obedient he is, how he understands the word no so well. But I don’t want him trained to do tricks – I like the fact that he’s still a little bit of wild leopard – which by the way is a post he’s working on. Anyway, thank you A – God bless you!
Seems as though you wrote this just for me to read today. Don’t think I have a favorite from the thank yous as they are all speaking to my heart. Thank you. God bless you.
Nancy, I’ve learned that though we are all so different – we’ll go through the same stuff – we all feel the same feelings. And then God has this special timing where he intersects lives. I guess there’s always plenty of room in the tissue paper cave ツ God bless you too, Nancy!!
Leave the tissue down for Laska! I would let my preschoolers play with it until they were done with it also. I don’t mind a mess, just so it gets cleaned up when it is done being enjoyed.
I am grateful like you #909 — for God’s love and patience in the midst of us frozen, hurting, damaged, wondering, questioning…….. the list could go on. That he meets us where we are at.
Katie, the tissue stays! Although every day it remains it gets more and more tattered – it’s those claws! ツ and yes… #909 – that he is patient – where would we be without his patience – you and I both – all of us. God bless and keep you Katie!
I love #907 and Laska peeking out from under the tissue! What wonderful photos and analogies … your post really made me smile, Craig! 🙂
Deb, I’m a sucker for cat pictures – but the ones of my own cat – well – you know (◔‿◔)
Laska the Love Kitty is a smile factory – I’m glad he made YOU smile. God bless and keep you!
Beautiful images, and it’s great that you left the tissue for your Laska to enjoy. I’m sorry about the windows and the storms. Though we are faithless, He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13). He is enough, friend. Don’t give up.
Thank you – I can’t take credit for the butterflies – or the really beautiful “arrow” artwork – but then I can’t take credit for the Laska pictures either – he gets the credit for those. He’s a little smile factory. Thank you for noting the windows and storm – and Amen – as faithless as we are – he is, of course, infinitely and eternally faithful. And give up? No. I’m a weeble 🙂 God bless!!