After the Storm

Photo by Richard Collett 2023 

A few days after Hurricane Idalia hit Florida, we set out for our beach house with some trepidation. Although landfall had been considerably further north, and there were no immediate reports of damage, we really didn’t know what to expect from the storm surge. Neighbors had posted pictures of water breaching the sand dunes, passing under the beachfront homes, and crossing the street to the homes bordering the lagoon.

But thankfully, the homes are all raised on stilts; the winds had not been severe; and we found no structural damage to our home. As we had feared, the sand dunes that protect the beach from erosion had been leveled by the waves, and there were no signs of the brown rabbits and mourning doves that used to make their homes there. The sea turtle nests were washed away with the tide, and the pounding surf had dumped piles of sand underneath the homes.

From the photos, we had expected that the beach itself would have disappeared, covered in water that would prevent a stroll to admire the views and search for treasures. But to our astonishment, the beach was suddenly three or four times wider than it had been on our previous visit! Apparently the storm surge had dredged up sand from the ocean bottom and deposited it on the shore!

In fact, the excess sand had buried beach chairs, a grill, hose and trash can under our home. A rope placed across the path to the beach, once at waist level, was now by our ankles! When I thought of repeated attempts by the county to “renourish” the beach by dredging and depositing sand on the shore, at considerable taxpayer expense and resident inconvenience, I wondered if God were laughing (Psalm 2:4; 59:8), for He accomplished the same thing overnight, and much better at that!

Reassured by our findings, I began our stay with my favorite ritual of an early morning swim. The water that had been almost like a hot tub on our previous visit was now pleasantly refreshing, most likely from the cold rain that fell during the storm. But this day was sunny, the sky a brilliant blue with only a few wispy clouds.

As I began my aquatic exercise I noticed three such clouds overhead that transformed before my eyes. The cloud on the left became a rippled V-shape, like fanning flames, and the one on the right took on an elongated cumulus shape, glowing as it was backlit by the sun.

The cloud in the center was at a first a simple, empty cross, on which then appeared the body of Christ, crucified and slumping, a mournful expression in His eyes. But as I watched, the cloud changed and grew, so that His body was draped in a robe, His arms outstretched and head lifted as if He were ascending, and the cross was no longer visible.

I continued gazing in amazement, but within moments, the three clouds had dissipated into a few indistinguishable traces. To me, this had been a clear depiction of the Trinity (Luke 3:22; 1 John 5:7): the fanning flames representing the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4); the glowing cloud God the Father, Who appeared to Moses as a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4) and to the Israelites as a pillar of fire over the tabernacle (Exodus 13:22; 40:38). The crucified, then ascended figure was Jesus Christ the Son, Who died to pay for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), that all who trust Him would have eternal life (John 3:16).

Physically and spiritually renewed, I joined my husband for a stroll on the beach. What a delight to see so many live coquinas, which had been absent on an earlier visit except for their cast-off shells, busily burrowing into the sand and resurfacing with each new wave! And this prolific bounty had attracted many shore birds: terns, plovers, sandpipers, and even a night heron. Evidently the cooler waters after the storm had again allowed the sea to teem with new life.

Beachcombing was plentiful also, with piles of multicolored scallop and cockle shells, iridescent pen shells, delicate white augurs, and sea potatoes, also known as heart urchins, each with star-shaped clefts once housing the sea urchin’s gills. The sea had churned up many fossils: shark’s teeth and chunks of sea turtle shell and mammal bone.

After a peaceful night’s sleep, soothed by the calming sound of the surf, I again returned to the pool to enjoy some quiet time with the Lord while swimming and admiring His creation. The sun was dazzling, transforming the water into a sparkling mosaic in shades of aqua and robin’s egg blue. The fronds of a palm tree shielding my view of the sun danced in the gentle breeze.

As if emanating from the sun, white clouds rippled, like furrows in the blue field of the sky. Suddenly a round white cloud to the right of this display became illuminated by a rainbow, which was not an arc as rainbows usually appear. The cloud became a glowing orb of rainbow hues – violet, indigo, red, orange, and gold, as if it were the aura surrounding the throne of Christ the King! (Revelation 4:3).

What made this even more astounding was that it had not rained for several days; there was no rain in the forecast; and the humidity was only about 50% -- much lower than normal at a Florida beach. It was clearly a rainbow, but like none I had ever seen before, spectacularly beautiful and occurring in highly improbable conditions! I was so thankful for and blessed by this reminder of God’s promise never again to destroy the earth by water (Genesis 9:13-17).

Sadly, many storms are still brewing as we approach the peak of what is forecast to be a busier than normal hurricane season. Our prayers are with all those affected by hurricanes or in their potential path. Yet, how reassuring to know that our Triune God is with us, no matter what storms we may face; that He speaks tenderly to us through His creation; and that we can depend on His presence and His promises! 

© 2023 Laurie Collett 

 

A 9/11 Warning

To my readers: As we approach the anniversary of September 11, 2001, with its horrific attacks on the Twin Towers in Manhattan and on the Pentagon, our thoughts and prayers are with all whose lives were forever changed by this unimaginable event. I am reposting this from the archives in hopes that it may be a reminder to follow God's Word and seek His guidance at all times.

As I was walking toward our front door about two weeks ago, I noticed three long, thin, dried up oleander leaves lying on the walkway in a distinct formation. As regular readers of this blog know, I am intrigued by patterns of three, in Scripture and in nature, as reflections of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19). So these leaves caught my eye, especially since they were aligned to form the Roman numeral for “9” – one leaf vertically by itself, to the left of two leaves crossed in an “X” pattern, the three leaves clearly displaying “IX.”

Odd, I thought, and wondered if God might be sending me a message, although I had no idea what it could be, until I stepped inside the house and turned around to shut the door. At that point, I was viewing the leaves upside down from my original vantage point, so I now saw them as “XI,” or the Roman numeral for “11.”

9-11: the telephone number to call in case of emergency. Since September 11, 2001, these numbers have always evoked even more dire warnings of terrorism, death, and destruction. I also felt that the oleander leaves spelling out 9-11 may have had additional significance. The oleander is a beautiful evergreen tree with colorful, attractive blossoms, but all parts of the plant are highly poisonous. What seems attractive at first glance is often not what is best for us (Proverbs 23:31-32; 31:30; 1 John 2:16).

So I thought God was sending me a warning, but about what? I had a sense of restlessness in my spirit, and although I prayed about it, I had no clear answer. But God, Who is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33; Isaiah 26:3) kept getting my attention with various other references to warnings.

At a Bible study one night at our church, the Pastor’s message was about those who disobeyed God’s law and pursued their own will instead, at their own peril. Because they did not “observe to do” His commandments, He removed His blessings and allowed curses instead (Deuteronomy 5:32; 6:25; 27:8-26; 28).  

God’s Word serves to “admonish,” or warn us (1 Corinthians 10:1-14) by giving us examples of those who disobeyed God and succumbed to idolatry, meaning not just worshiping statues, but having anything stand between us and our relationship with God. The devil can trap us and destroy our testimony and ministry (1 Peter 5:8) even when we are saved and want to fulfill God’s perfect plan for our life (Jeremiah 29:11; 33:3). However, Satan’s power is limited by what God allows (Job 1:10), and once saved, we can never lose our salvation (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:39).

Later that week I heard a Charles Stanley sermon about listening for God’s voice so that we can hear Him and obey. Most often He speaks to us through our reading or hearing of His Word (Psalm 119:105), which can correct, instruct, and encourage us (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:2-4),

If we take time to be still (Psalm 46:10), He may speak to us in our quiet time (Jeremiah 29:12-14), or even through dreams (Daniel 2:19; 7:13; Matthew 2:12,22; etc.) or nature (Psalm 19:1). Sometimes God speaks to us through fellow Christians who warn us of behavior that displeases God (1 Corinthians 4:14; Colossians 1:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:14).

When Dr. Stanley said that sometimes God wants to give us a warning, that surely caught my attention! He related an incident in his own life when he was a seminary student and had planned to spend the summer working in his church’s missions’ office. One day he tripped, hitting his head, and he felt God was sending him a warning. He became restless in his desire to know what God had planned for his life, when one day in prayer He clearly felt God telling him not to work in the missions’ office that summer, but to vacation in a small town in the mountains instead.

At first he dismissed this idea, thinking it was just his own selfish desire to relax over the summer rather than providing needed service to his church. But he also clearly felt God asking him to trust and obey Him (1 Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 50:10). So he did, and the first week he was there, the church where he had visited asked him if he could fill in the following week by preaching for the pastor who was unexpectedly called out of town. After he had preached there several times, the church invited him to be their new pastor and was even willing to wait for him to complete his final year at seminary!

He ultimately accepted the position; the church grew; and his ministry expanded astronomically to the point that his sermons and messages are now broadcast on television, radio, and online around the world. None of this would have happened, and he would have fallen short of this amazing plan God had for his life (Ephesians 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:14), had he not listened to and followed God’s call to do something that made no earthly sense at the time (Isaiah 55:9).

God often works that way, with miraculous results when we obey! Servants poured water into pots at Christ’s command and watched it drawn forth as the best wine (John 2:7-10), and armies marched silently around Jericho and then saw the walls come tumbling down at the sound of the trumpet! (Joshua 6:1-11)

In my own quiet time, I had been asking for God’s guidance about financial issues, and how to balance these with time and resources to be spent in ministry and in fulfilling His perfect plan. Soon I sensed that the warning God had for me was in that vein, that our earthly life is but a vapor (James 4:14), and that it will soon be the time when we can no longer use it to serve Him (John 9:4).

He does not want us to waste our mental energy on worry (Philippians 4:6), for perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), and we can cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). Rather, He wants us to find joy in Him and in our salvation (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 21:1; 35:9; 51:12). Every day is a gift from Him, and He wants us to rejoice in it (Psalm 118:24), for we are not promised tomorrow (James 4:14).

As we left our house one morning a few days later, we heard sirens, then spotted an ambulance at a neighbor’s house, followed by two police cars, and soon thereafter by a medical examiner’s car and hearse. This neighbor had worked very hard for many years to take an early retirement. He had purchased the vacant lot next to his property, built his dream house there to live in, and gave the house where he had been living to his son, so that he could watch his grandchildren grow up.

But he had lived there only a few short months when he unexpectedly died in his sleep, and he could no longer enjoy all that he had worked so hard to achieve.

So now I feel I understand the warning – our time here is short; we can’t take our earthly possessions with us; and only those rewards we have stored up in Heaven will have eternal value (Luke 12:15-34). Work is necessary to provide for our families (2 Thessalonians 3:10), but overemphasis on wealth, albeit admired by the world, is a distraction that can keep us from God’s best (Proverbs 23:4-5). 

Sadly, I don’t know whether or not our neighbor was saved, and now the opportunity is forever gone to witness to him. I’m ashamed that I never took the time to knock on his door and tell him that we are saved only by our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). But it’s not too late to give his widow a copy of God’s Word, a plan of salvation, and an invitation to visit our church.

May we always heed God’s warnings before it is too late, for the night is fast approaching when no man can work. The numbers 9-11 in my special warning may have had yet another meaning: if we commit our lives to God, He will give us more time to serve Him in joy, peace and love. 

Proverbs 9:11: For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

© 2016 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Lilies of the Field

 

Recently I had a dream that consisted only of a single image – a strikingly unique tropical plant. It grew as a tall, elegantly curved branch in vibrant tones of dark blue, majestic purple, and forest green, with sculpted leaf-like triangular structures springing from its surface. At its tip was a perfect lavender bloom, with a full array of lotus-like petals arranged in a Fibonacci spiral.

Over the next few days, I was reminded of the dream image by a photo of an exotic succulent on Facebook, and then by a fashion magazine spread in which a stunning model clad in a Grecian-style gown posed next to a similar plant, mirroring its graceful curve.

That night I had a second dream in which I was helping to prepare decorations for a wedding celebration.  There were many lily blooms to arrange, some in white streaked with fuschia and lavender; some cream-colored with pale gold spots, and some orange tiger lilies. I had to arrange them in a clear glass, tiered container, with a water reservoir on the bottom, but the stems were very short and difficult to keep in contact with the water. One of the blooms had already wilted, shriveled, and was turning brown.

As I thought about the symbolism of these dream images, I was reminded of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:5; 11:15), the Rod from the stem of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), the true Vine (John 15:5). God the Son came to earth in human form as the perfect, sinless Sacrifice Who died on the cross to pay for all our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), that all who trust Him would have eternal life (John 3:16). He alone is the priceless Rose of Sharon and Lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1).

The colors of the dream plant were fitting for the Righteous Branch, the blue reflecting the azure skies of Heaven and Christ’s heavenly throne resembling sapphire (Ezekiel 1:26); the purple His royalty, and also (with blue and scarlet) seen in the temple curtain (Exodus 27:16). The green called to mind the emerald-like rainbow lighting His throne (Revelation 4:3), and evergreen trees that never lose their foliage, symbolizing His gifts of peace, provision, and everlasting life (Genesis 9:3; Psalm 23:2; 52:8).

The three-sided appendages could denote the Trinity – the perfect union of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7).

Crowning this magnificent creation was an exquisite lavender bloom, its color mystical and transcendent, and its petals in a spiral design based on the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci sequence in which each number is the sum of the preceding two numbers (1,1,2,3,5, etc.). Only the omniscient Designer could create such beauty using intricate laws of nature and mathematics, as He did in the aloe plant, the lotus blossom, the sunflower head, and the chambered nautilus.

Even the human body, His greatest creation, uses the Golden Ratio in determining ideal proportions, as Leonardo da Vinci portrayed in his Vitruvial Man drawing of the human body with limbs outstretched along a circle.

As suggested by the fashion image I saw a few days after the dream, in which the model’s form and stance resembled that of the plant, we are created in God’s image, also with a triune nature of body, soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). Our body communicates with the outside world, our soul with our innermost desires, and God designed our spirit to communicate with Him, once we are saved and trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

I believe the second dream of arranging flowers for a wedding celebration referenced believers’ status as God’s children, symbolized by the lilies. Despite our differences in physical appearance and skin color, we are all made in His image, reflecting His beauty. While we await His return, we are to gather together in love (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:25; Colossians 2:2), like flowers strung together in a lei; put on the holy and spotless garment of His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10); and prepare for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

Just as He has brilliantly clothed the lilies of the field, He has promised to attire, feed, and nurture us (Matthew 6:28-33). Christ is the Living Water (John 4:10-14), the Source of all these physical, spiritual and eternal blessings. Once we trust in Him, we will never thirst again.

Yet to receive His abundant blessings, we must be connected to the refreshing spring of His grace, love and provision. In the dream, the short stems on the lily blooms represent the difficulty our flesh has in maintaining that connection, and the attempt we sometimes make to be nourished artificially, by a man-made reservoir that can satisfy our thirst no more than can a broken cistern (Jeremiah 2:13).

Unless we are immersed in the Living Water, we wither away spiritually, like the dried bloom that was fit only to be discarded.  We must keep hydrated by staying close to Him, for our flesh is weak and incapable of self-nourishment. But washing in the Water of His Word cleanses and sanctifies us (Ephesians 5:26).

Although the dreams were a confirmation of our abundant blessings, inner beauty through the Holy Spirit, and life-giving sustenance we experience as Christ-followers, I believe they were also a warning to stay connected to the renewing power of His Word and Spirit. May others be drawn to Jesus Christ and His beauty as they perceive us as blooms decorating the One True Vine!

© 2023 Laurie Collett

God's Exchange

 

Photo by Myotus 2022

Would you trade the toaster oven in your hands for what’s behind Door Number 3? It might be a new car or a lump of coal – on a game show, there is no way of knowing. One thing is for sure, though -- you have to give up what you have to get something new.

With God, we have the assurance of knowing that what we will get by trusting Him is infinitely better than what we give up, because you can’t outgive God. 

When we pray for Him to meet a specific need, He does not just add a little something to what we already have; He takes away a burden and replaces it with a priceless gift (Philippians 4: 4-6). The best gift of all is eternal life (John 3:16), freely given to all who trust in Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). 

What’s the catch? There is no catch, except that we have to release the burden to Him before He will bless us with the gift. If we clutch on to the old and familiar because we’re afraid to let go, we lack the faith that He knows what we need before we even ask Him (Matthew 6:8), and that He will answer our prayer exceeding abundantly beyond what we could ever ask or think (Ephesians 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:14).

This is not a prosperity gospel or a name-it-and-claim-it philosophy, because we should recognize that not all our specific requests are in line with God’s perfect will, and that His blessings are often not in the material realm. As we become more conformed to Christ’s image (Philippians 3:10), and trust Him more and more, He will grant us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4) because those desires become more aligned with His perfect will for us.

When we feel that God is not blessing us as we had hoped, it may be because we haven’t yet asked Him (James 4:2; Matthew 7:8; 21:22; Luke 11:10), or because we’re asking for something to satisfy our fleshly wants rather than our spiritual needs (James 4:3). Or it may be that our heart is not right with God because we have not forgiven those who have wronged us, or we have not repented of our sins, or because we are relying on our own limited resources to solve the problem, instead of trusting in His abundant grace.

But God delights in blessing His children with good things beyond our imagination! (Matthew 7:11; Ephesians 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:14) If we have faith to leave our burdens at the foot of the cross, He will fill us up with blessings beyond measure (Hebrews 11:6). He will exchange:

Our sins for His righteousness (Hebrews 12:11)

Our bondage for His liberty (James 1:25)

Our weakness for His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9; Isaiah 40:31)

Our exhaustion for His rest (Matthew 11:28)

Our loneliness for His presence (Hebrews 13:5; Proverbs 18:24) and for brothers and sisters in Christ (Galatians 6:2)

Our pride for His humility (Philippians 2:5-7; Mark 10:45)

Our limitations for His omnipotence (Luke 18:27; Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13)

Our ignorance for His wisdom (James 1:5; Colossians 2:3) and teaching (John 14:26; Ephesians 1:17-18)

Our confusion for His direction (Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 119:105)

Our guilt for His forgiveness (1 John 1:8-9; Romans 8:1; Colossians 1:13-14)

Our doubt and fear for His perfect love, faith, and the peace that passes all understanding (1 John 4:18; Philippians 4:7).

Our sin sickness for His healing (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)

Our tears for joy in Him (Philippians 4:4; Psalm 5:11; 1 John 1:4)

Our lack for His abundance (Philippians 4:19)

A death sentence of eternity in hell for abundant life now and eternity with Him in Heaven (Ephesians 2:1; John 3:16).

Dying to self for living with and in Him (Galatians 2:20)

Being children of the devil for being children of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

A story has circulated on the Internet about a little girl who dearly loved a necklace of plastic pearls she bought at the dime store after scrimping and saving her allowance. Her father asked her to trust him to give them to her so he could give her something better, but each time he asked, she turned away defiantly with pouting and tears, clinging to the plastic pearls even though their coating had long since flaked away. After all, she had worked so hard and given up so much to get them.

Finally she realized that her love for her father and her desire to please him outweighed her attachment to her necklace. Reluctantly, timidly, she removed them from her neck and offered them to him. Imagine her surprise and delight when he placed around her neck a string of perfectly matched, cultured pearls of great beauty and value.

How often are we like the little girl, refusing to give up the childish trinkets we acquire by our own efforts, letting them take on the importance of idols in our life? Why are we so often afraid to exchange what we have for what the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer longs to give us?

Copyright Laurie Collett 2012

Edited and reposted from the archives

View through the Ruin

 

Photo by Laurie Collett 2017

A few years ago, our family was blessed to visit Ireland, where the joy of spending time together was enhanced by the unusually sunny weather and gorgeous scenery. The lush green landscape there is dotted by many ruins of walls, dwellings, and even castles!

One of our favorites was Minard Castle near Dingle in County Kerry, still stately atop a gentle hill on a boulder beach, its gray stones overgrown with tangled ivy. It was built by the Knight of Kerry in the mid 17^th century and was later attacked by the forces of Oliver Cromwell. In the romantic film "Ryan’s Daughter," it was used to film the scene where Rosy met the English Captain, with whom she would have an extramarital affair.

Our son and daughter-in-law were the first to scramble up the steep, winding narrow stairs to view what remained of the bedrooms and watch towers. There was no signage or docent, so much of it was left to the imagination. I followed not too far behind, while my husband chose the safer and broader perspective from below on the castle grounds.

Later he told me that a fellow traveler shook his head while gazing at those of us scampering about on the upper levels of the ancient structure.

“I’m a mechanical engineer,” he told Richard. “All it would take is one stone from that arch to slip a little, or to crumble a little, for that whole building to come tumbling down.”

Richard shuddered as he pondered our fate, wondering why he hadn’t tried to stop us, or if he could even if he had tried.

As I ascended the rough steps, sometimes painfully clinging to thorny vines on the wall for support, I was thankfully oblivious to the conversation below. I paused often to peek through the window openings, and to imagine what it was like for the original occupants to gaze out on that same scenery. The rolling hills, far-off mountain peak, and sea must not have changed much, despite the considerable deterioration of the dwelling itself.

Were there joyful parties in the castle, or grim watches for invading enemies? Were the occupants blessed with marital bliss and happy, healthy families, or plagued by sickness, strife, trials and death? Most likely a mixture of both, as would be true for most lives at different times.

As I paused to snap a photo of one view through the crumbling ruins, I was struck by the contrast of the jagged rocks that framed the window, jutting out into the bucolic landscape and farmhouse in the distance, and the grand yet hazy view of the mountain peak beyond.

The Bible describes the church, or body of called-out believers who trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), as a building fitly framed together. Jesus Himself is the Cornerstone and the Foundation on which the church is built (Ephesians 2:20-22). Each believer is positioned uniquely to fulfill the specific function God has predetermined for each of us (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27).

But what happens if the individual stones in the building, or believers in the church, start to fall apart? As the engineer observed, just one stone slipping in the arch could bring the whole castle tumbling down. If a church leader is found out in adultery or other sin, or begins preaching false doctrine, the entire local church body may dissolve (1 Corinthians 5:6-13).

Even “small” sins or divisions among church members, or erosion as vines and leaks work over time on building blocks, can damage the entire structure. Maintenance and upkeep are therefore crucial for a dwelling, and regular, well-attended services (Hebrews 10:25) and immersion in God’s Word (2 Timothy 4:2) even more so for a church.  

Crumbling around the edges of one stone can affect its connection to the others, and similarly, willful sin in the life of one church member erodes the body as a whole, for the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Small wonder that so many churches today are in disarray and even closing their doors altogether!

But the view through the ruin also reminded me of my own body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, as is true for every child of God (Ephesians 2:22; 2 Corinthians 6:16). The outward body is aging daily, yet the soul inside should be growing closer to and in better alignment with Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:16), as long as we build our lives on the solid Rock (Matthew 7:24) and Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).

Looking out from the jagged borders of the window reminded me that although I am rough around the edges, God still blesses me with the vision to see milestones along my path. As I viewed the nearby farmhouse and heard the far-off laughter of my son and his bride, I remembered God’s blessings of honest labor (2 Thessalonians 3:10), family (Psalm 127:3-5) and shelter in the past and present.

And the mountain peak beyond strengthened my faith that there are still mountains and lands to possess, figuratively speaking, even as we grow older (Joshua 14:9-12; 13:1). Ultimately we will ascend to that holy city, New Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12; 21:2,10), on the heavenly hill! (Zechariah 8:3)

Meanwhile, as our physical bodies age and fail, our souls groan to be clothed with the new heavenly tabernacle of our glorified body! (Romans 8:18-23). Then we will view Him through the ruin of our earthly body no more, for we will see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12) and be as He is, in our heavenly body (1 Corinthians 15:40-54) that will never die, sin, age, or experience pain, sickness or sorrow! 

© 2017 Laurie Collett

Edited and reposted from the archives

Photo by Laurie Collett 2017

Coquinas and Butterflies

Photo by Island Ecology

 

As we strolled the beach last evening, my husband and I were struck by the vast number of coquina shells at the water’s edge. These tiny, colorful shells are often called butterfly shells because they are bivalves with a wing shape, and when the two halves are still attached to one other they resemble butterflies in flight, particularly given their pastel or jewel-like tones and radiating patterns like the sun’s rays at dawn.

At first I was delighted to be collecting so many of these intact specimens in all the colors of the rainbow. But then I realized that the stretch of shore where these were spread out, like miniature brooches in a jewel box, was the same stretch that we had previously nicknamed “Coquina Beach” because many live coquinas used to burrow into the sand with each incoming wave, only to resurface as the wave receded.

Shore birds, especially long-legged brown ones in the plover family, love to feast on live coquinas, and we have often spotted them fishing for their dinner and gobbling down their prey. But last evening, these nearly tame creatures were curiously absent, except for one dejected loner poking at seaweed with his long beak, apparently to no avail.

It made me wonder if the recent heat wave, with Gulf temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit bleaching out and devastating the coral, was also taking its toll on the delicate coquinas. Perhaps that was why their empty shells were so plentiful, while live specimens and their predators were so scarce.

A saddening thought, and yet the shells we collected were a lasting reminder of the beauty and creativity of God’s intelligent design. It reminded me of the life cycle of the butterfly, perhaps an even greater example of God’s signature in His creation.

A lowly caterpillar crawls along the dirt, often as drab as its surroundings, until one day it spins a shroud-like chrysalis around itself. There it remains, outwardly dormant for some time. In this phase, which resembles death to the casual observer, the caterpillar completely digests itself, and its molecules are rearranged into a nascent butterfly, still entombed within the chrysalis.

But at exactly the right moment, the butterfly struggles to free itself from the chrysalis. Good-intentioned humans, witnessing this struggle, have sometimes cut the chrysalis to “help” the butterfly emerge, only to find that their actions have killed the fragile creature. The struggle for liberation is an essential part of the transition from caterpillar to butterfly, as it pumps fluid into the nascent wings and strengthens them.

This metamorphosis is often used as a symbol of being saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). While we are dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-5), we are base creatures like the caterpillar, unable to lift our heads from the filth around us (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Before we can be born again (John 3:3-8), we must die to our fleshly sin nature (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5), much as the caterpillar destroys itself within the chrysalis.  

But when the Holy Spirit has completed this process within our heart – often as we struggle to shed the old man (Romans 6:6) and yield to Him-- we emerge as a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), capable of soaring to heavenly places in Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6). We are then clothed in the beauty of His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Our sin-stained garments are washed white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) and replaced with the finest robe, like the one the Father placed on the returned Prodigal Son (Luke 15:22).

The butterfly’s life as a beautiful, flying creature is ephemeral at best, lasting only a short time and ending soon after laying eggs that will hatch into caterpillars and renew the cycle. Hopefully, the live mollusks that left behind the empty coquina shells also had a chance to reproduce, so that one day, perhaps when the weather is more favorable, “Coquina Beach” will once again be teeming with life, providing a nourishing buffet for the shore birds.

Our life on earth as born-again Christians is nearly as transient (James 4:14), perhaps even more so now as plagues, famine, natural disasters, wars, and other labor pains of the End Times increase in frequency and intensity (Matthew 24). But when we die, we are with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:8), and one day at the Rapture we shall have glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:40-58) more magnificent than we could ever imagine! These bodies will soar through the skies as we rise to meet Him and may even be able to instantly transport us to another place or to walk through walls (John 20:19), as Jesus did in His glorified body!

But in the meantime, may we too be fruitful, like the coquina or butterfly.  Some of us may be blessed with children, a great gift from God (Psalm 127:3-5), and even more blessed when our children accept Christ and we have played some small part in bringing them into God’s family.

Yet all Christians, whether or not we have offspring, can be fruitful by doing all we can in our brief lifespan on earth as children of God and joint-heirs with Christ. May we be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure, to pray for and witness to others, to encourage and uplift the saints, and to serve God wherever He places us until He brings us home or comes again!

© 2023 Laurie Collett