I love that moment when life comes completely into focus… the brief gasp of fresh perspective that floods in when our faith, hormones, attitude and circumstances all converge into a single happy epiphany! The realization that everything and everyone in our life has a purpose, that all of our hurts and disappointments – successes and failures, were somehow an essential and perfect way for us.

A temporary clarity of all things temporal that allows us to drink deeply of the beauty and wisdom that sparks off the rush of being able to feel and see God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

It’s like rising above the fray of life for just a few minutes, resting in the sudden conviction that everything we’ve been through will count, it all matters and that confidence gives us a surge of renewed hope and trust in our God and the stamina to endure what comes next, knowing it will only be for our good.

A Matrix moment of ultimate understanding, when our temporal distresses drop away like flakes of ash and we gaze expectantly on the “not yet” peek of our eternal significance.  

I call all of “that’… “catching the butterfly” !

For me, it’s an elusive goal to find that beautiful experience and hold onto it as long as I can.

For some of us, the ecstasy of that butterfly captures all of our attention and we long for and chase after that as we would a sacred romance. Looking for those intense moments to sustain us through all of the dreadful and tedious days and weeks and even months of ‘in-between’.

I know for many of us… we believe the moments of great intensity and clarity are the one’s where our Faith is the strongest, when our lives matter the most …when we can be the most effective as parents, pastors and ministry leaders!

So when we’re not holding the butterfly in our hands, we can feel weak and icky and powerless as believers. Discounting our unremarkable lives and nearly evaporated faith as inconsistent and immature, withdrawing from any role of leadership or influence we may be offered, waiting for our spiritual mojo to return before we can engage in the work of God’s Kingdom.

But what if that concept was reversed… ?

What if,  real strength was found in the ‘in-between‘ periods of our lives? What if our determination to “believe’ in God’s promises no matter what we could or couldn’t see or feel or understand, was the greatest act of Faith and commitment we could ever offer ? 

What if the reality of our taking the next step… and then another, and another… were the building blocks of divine significance and maturity and the moments of clarity were simply confirmation and affirmation of our path already walked?

Then… we could truly trust that God would always be faithful to us no matter how much we ‘feel’ we deserve it. 

Then… we could live with the reassurance that no matter what we personally could see or feel or sense around us, God would always be there. Always be counted on to come through.

The butterfly moments would be as awesome as always, but the in-between might start to take on greater significance and purpose as well. Such a reality of life would create contentment in our hearts and confidence in our minds. Spiritual stability would follow as we recognize we’re not chasing just a moment or a ‘high’ with God, but a honest and true relationship that would endure and satisfy and and renew us…time after time.

Parents, friends and fellow believers…. chase the butterfly, but enjoy the journey of our ‘in-between’ too!

Peace out, Pastor B.