Extravagant Beauty

I looked up extravagant in my dictionary just now.  Going beyond reasonable limits: too ornate or showy: wasteful.  Truly, I have to argue with those definitions.  Especially when you are looking at butterflies feasting on milkweed, their favorite food.

I saw them gathering in a flock near the edge of my road when I drove home the other day.  I hurried home, parked the car, grabbed my trusty point and shoot camera and walked back to where they were hovering over a few purple flowers.  I know from experience that they are shy and will flit away as soon as they sense any kind of movement.  I started my picture taking across the road, with the zoom on full.  As they continued to feed I edged a little closer, step by step.  Finally I was just a few feet away.  Not minding me at all, they continued to crawl across the blossoms and fly a few inches and try the next bunch of flowers.  What joy!

We used to have lots of milkweed and butterfly bush near one of our fields.  But for some reason it died off.  Our first year, when we were building the house, I would sit in a chair near the flowers and take picture after picture of these gorgeous flyers.

This was the first time I had seen butterflies near our home for a long time.  I tried not to hurry.  I wanted to concentrate on getting the perfect shot, watching in amazement while they did their butterfly ballet in front of me.  The light was leaving but I kept shooting.  I finally had about ninety shots when I ended. 

I kept thinking.  How beautiful these creatures are.  God could have made them just ordinary colors, just given them a few swirls of gold here and there.  I would have been satisfied with that.  But no.  He gave them this extravagant beauty..above and beyond what we would give ourselves.  You know the scripture about the lilies of the field...how they toil not neither do they spin?  At yet, our Maker has given us these tiny beings..right here under our noses....because He wants to remind us how much He loves and cares for all of us.  Extravagant beauty...extravagant Love.

Sunlight and Shadows

I learn so much from my life up here on the hill.  Sunlight...and shadow.  How I love to see the Caney hills in all their glory.  But my favorite time is at sunset...or late afternoon when shadows from clouds move across their flanks in ever changing waves.  Bright green to dusky purple.  First one valley lit up and glowing only to be plunged into darkness in the next second or two.

The last few weeks have been difficult for many of us.  Life comes and goes.  We celebrate...those beginning and those ending.  The peace I find on my porch in the evening has brought a few thoughts to mind.

What would life be like with only sunshine?  It is trite, but true.  We don't appreciate what we have until it is no longer there.  The coolness of the valley we walk in sometimes blinds us to what we have experienced in the warmth of the sun as we climbed higher up the hill.  I began to realize that sometimes shadows are actually angel wings covering us and giving us shelter from the sorrow that we feel.  We don't always feel comfort, but it is there and waiting for us to accept it and move on.  

Move on we do.  Into the bright light of day and joy and relief from the burden we have borne.

What would our lives be like without the contrast of shadow and sunlight?  We would have nothing to appreciate when the light was gone.  Just bright day after bright day.  I must confess than when I am in the valley I truly wish for ease and comfort and light.  I wonder if I will ever feel that warmth and ease again.

But then it comes.  The sun appears on the hill.  I climb up and over that ridge.  Shadows still await me but step by step I gather courage to go on.  

Step by step..from shadow into sunlight.