Recently hubby and I were in Alaska visiting some very dear friends of ours. While there, a fellow tourist recommended Reflections Lake Trail. So we decided to check it out.
It did not disappoint.
Reflections Lake Trail is an easy 1-mile loop through a nature woodland, encircling a lake with stunning views of the Chugach mountains.
It was a beautiful fall day as hubby and I set out on the trail. Right away I began to notice little metal butterflies on tall metal sticks (about the height of a small child), all along the trail … “hidden” here and there along the side of the path, in the bushes.
I thought it was just a chance thing … but hubby was noticing them too, on the other side of the trail, in places I hadn’t spotted.
You never knew when you would pass a little metal butterfly. They just “popped up” as you walked along. They were painted all different colors … some butterflies were red; some were purple; some were blue; etc. …
It actually became quite a bit of fun to spot the little metal butterflies as we walked along.
I couldn’t help but think of the loving parent and how much fun they must have had coming up with this idea, and “hiding” all these little butterflies for their child to find. What a fun, creative thing to do for your child.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was for a birthday party? I couldn’t help but wonder how long all those little metal butterflies had been here?
How many other children, who came to walk this trail, also had great fun searching for all the little butterflies? In fact … how many other people, like hubby and me, had fun finding the little butterflies along the trail?
Hubby and I flew back home and one of the first things I needed to do once we were back was to harvest the tomatoes and beans and zucchini. The garden had been very productive while we were away! And the harvest was hanging heavy on the vines!
Beans like to hide. They like to quietly tuck themselves away behind and underneath the large leaves. And there they sit …
As I was searching through the bean leaves, looking for “hiding” green beans, I couldn’t help but think of the little metal butterflies. It is a lot of fun to seek-and-find.
You don’t have to be a child to enjoy seek-and-find. Everyone … no matter your age, enjoys seek-and-find.
There is something deeply satisfying about having to “seek” through the heavy tangled mess of green bean leaves and then come away with a huge container of fresh green beans. It gives you a huge sense of accomplishment!
The snow peas earlier this summer were the same way. The snow peas were the exact same shade of green as the leaves … which made them very camouflaged!
The zucchini is also really great at hiding way down in there amongst the large prickly ever-spreading leaves! And if you miss one … you know! Because you come back out a few days later to find a ginormous, monstrous zucchini. It’s almost as if it’s laughing at you for not “finding it” in the first place.
I think God put something deep inside each of us that really enjoys the challenge of seeking. Because, along with it, God also gave us the reward of feeling a huge sense of accomplishment when we “find.” It’s a terrific feeling!
It’s like God wants us to seek. It is good for us to seek.
It is good for a man to seek a wife. And the sense of accomplishment he feels when he marries his bride is off-the-charts!
It is good for us to seek a job. And when we find a good job that pays the bills, and something that we enjoy … the sense of accomplishment is huge!
We seek to be excellent students … and when we achieve high honors at graduation, that feeling of accomplishment is worth it all!
We seek to be excellent musicians … athletes … etc.
God made us to seek.
Because God wants us to seek after Him!
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD.” – Jeremiah 29:13-14
A lot of people are seeking for something to fill the empty space in their soul.
God wants us to seek Him!
God promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him! He is like all those little colorful metal butterflies “hiding” along the walking path. God is right here! He wants us to find Him!
Just like the loving parent “hid” the butterflies in the normal, everyday stuff along the trail … so also, God is every bit as loving! And God has “hidden” Himself in the normal, everyday stuff of our life … just waiting for us to walk by and be delighted with joy that we “found” Him!
God loves you! God wants you to seek Him as you walk along the path of your life.
And God is there! God is there, all along the path of your life.
God is there, in every day! Can you see Him?? Can you “find” Him each step along the way??
