Today’s guest blogger is assistant editor Daniel Kessel.
Two weeks ago, I wrote about a poem that gave me unexpected comfort as my family continues praying for my aunt’s recovery after her stroke.
Over the weekend my grandmother–who’s no stranger to Mysterious Ways–gave me a call. “I’ve got a story for you,” she said. “It has to do with your aunt.”
She was on her way home one day last week when she spotted a yard sale off Main Street in our New Jersey town. She didn’t need to buy anything and knew she shouldn’t spend any money, but she couldn’t resist the urge to take a peek. She pulled over and started browsing.
One item caught my grandmother’s eye: A beautiful snow globe with a pastel blue base. It was in perfect condition, and it wound up to play a song she recognized from an old Disney movie.
Most of all, she loved the two glass butterflies inside. She bought it on the spot and planned to give it to my aunt in the hospital.
The next afternoon, my grandmother went outside to take out the trash. She glanced up and noticed something flying above her–two butterflies, a blur of blue and white as they fluttered around each other, dancing to some unheard rhythm.
The two butterflies floated just above her head for a full two minutes before they finally flew away.
My grandmother stared up in awe, filled with a sense of peace. Somehow, she felt that the butterflies were a sign from above, a message that my aunt would be okay.
It wasn’t until my grandmother went back inside the house and saw her yard sale purchase on the table that she realized the two butterflies in the snow globe were exactly like the ones she’d seen outside–one white, one blue.
Butterflies have been popping up for my grandmother ever since. In a necklace her niece made for her. In a card she received at church. These butterfly sightings have been a source of strength for the whole family. All those prayers must be working–my aunt is now home from the hospital.
At Mysterious Ways, I’ve come across so many stories about “winged messengers,” tiny creatures that can impact our lives in big ways. Like the butterfly in Quito, Ecuador, that helped bring a father and son closer together.
Or the little bee in Manteca, California, that brought comfort to a woman grieving the death of her brother.
Then there’s the first story I worked on, about a swarm of dragonflies that helped a devastated mother from Ottertail, Minnesota work through the loss of her 27-year-old daughter. These unique encounters show how some of God’s most important messages come in the smallest packages–if only we keep our eyes open.
What about you? How has one of God’s littlest messengers given you much-needed inspiration or hope? Share your story with us.
