Today I spent some time working in the garden,
weeding, removing dead flowers and prepping the ground for winter.
We still have some flowers
and believe it or not
a couple of butterflies still lingering around.
I stopped what I was doing and sat down for a minute,
to take it all in
the fresh crisp air
the clear blue sky
the rich colors of the remaining flowers
and behold,
a Black Swallowtail Butterfly.
I can tell that perhaps this was the last time
I was going to see it before the temperature cools.
I ran inside to get my camera
and
while I was photographing the Swallowtail
it remained gentle and calm as she gathered her nectar.
I noticed the details on her beautiful dark wings
and it made me think
that God is in the details,
and daily life is made up of the details.
Small pleasures are gifts of God that grease the wheels of life
refreshing us and reminding us of life's abundance.
Small pleasures say
"Pay Attention"
Life is a sacrament and everything is a gift from God.
My cup of coffee,
my flowers,
time with my family,
and that butterfly--
are all reminders of the wonders of creation.
It came to me that the miraculous often hides in the commonplace.
As Jean Webster puts it:
It isn't the big pleasures that count the most;
it's making a great deal out of the little ones.