Last year, my daughter’s class was involved in studying the monarch migration and the environmental impact on these butterflies. Spearheaded by a member of the community, a butterfly garden was newly planted and “the grand opening” took place in the school’s park this fall. Given that my daughter and her classmates were part of the garden’s beginnings, they were invited to join in the celebration of its fruition.
It was a bright, warm September day where the sun was gleaming and the stillness of nature spoke an overwhelming sense of calm. Students, teachers, parents and community members gathered to learn about monarch butterflies and engaged in the collective cutting of the ribbon to the garden. Soon thereafter, it was time for the gentle releasing of the butterflies.
Surprisingly though, rather than launching south in pursuit of their own survival, one by one, these beautiful creatures put their safety and freedom on hold, only to land on children’s hands instead! Perhaps they needed to thank their young guardians for the beautiful garden and bid them a final farewell… or maybe they just needed to warm up their wings for the long journey ahead. Either way, the kids were mesmerized and so were the adults! It was a magical moment and certainly one fine day.
Meanwhile, across the lands, we heard of earthquakes, solar flares, volcano alerts, fires, floods, and hurricanes raging. Widespread destruction, devastation, and loss… We asked, “How could this be? How could all these polarities be occurring at the very same time? How were we safe while others were suffering?”
This is where faith came in. We soon realized that just because we didn’t understand the inequity of the situation, this did not equate to the absence of a greater, more divine plan in place. Watching the developments and aftermath of the disasters reminded us that, “When God pushes you to the edge of difficulty, trust Him fully, because two things can happen. Either He’ll catch you when you fall, or He will teach you how to fly.”
We did not have to look far to see this in action. Within an ocean of troubles, there came waves of support, resiliency and hope. Emergency responders and humanitarian aid flowed in steadily from the earliest alerts. Relief efforts continued throughout the aftermath. It was sight after sight of disaster recovery where people joined forces, with no hesitation, to help each other out; neighbors on piggyback, boat rides through streets, text messages from rooftops, and the list goes on. There was unity and courage, where the most vulnerable knew they could count on the strongest for help.
Despite each victim’s most calculated dreams, a curveball had just been thrown at them, moving each in a different direction. Yet, together, they found strength.
Entrepreneur, Tiffaney Malott, once said, “Get excited!…Don’t just get excited about where you’re going, but get excited about where you are right now, bad situation and all … If you’re facing the biggest fight of your life, get excited about that, because God doesn’t give big fights to little soldiers, and if you’re facing a big fight, that just means you have grown up into the armor that you were ready to wear – that only He knew you were ready to wear.”
So, whether humans through stormy waters or butterflies under gleaming skies, coming together before a journey ahead is the route to great distances.
