Butterfly Development School

August 5, 2025

Maria Fear, God's Power, John 16, Problems, Struggles , , , , , 1 Comment

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NLT

I dipped into Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest.  Today he addressed the normal hardships of life like this: “The strain of life is what builds our strength”.

Immediately, because it’s summer, I thought of butterflies.  Maybe we’re all in Butterfly School!  If the chrysalis doesn’t struggle to break out of its cocoon, she won’t live to delight the world. But maybe she feels as I do, “This is harder than I thought!”.

Oswald continued, “Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy?  He cannot unless you are willing to accept the strain.” 

As I reflect on what I’m fighting, anxiety about some international travel in a few days, a new possibility appears.  Maybe today’s strain, this struggle to trust Jesus, is just part of Butterfly Development School. If that’s the case, then this adversity is making me beautiful!

And yes, I should know better.  There is no such thing as a life free from problems, hardships or adversity.  In my case, strain-free travel doesn’t exist, for I can’t control weather, mechanical issues or people. 

But what if I turned into the strain, as does a sailboat tacking into the headwind? I smile and relax as I picture a trip where I count on God’s strength. Instead of picturing my fears, I’ll turn around and head straight into God’s arms as He powers my trip. 

How do you respond when the mountains DO fall and the waters rise?

October 1, 2024

Maria Psalm 46 , , , , , , , 2 Comments

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3 NIV

I couldn’t sleep Sunday night, thinking of disrupted lives. Our oldest son lives in Tampa where Hurricane Helene hit.  Moving up the coast, this unpredictable storm then devastated Asheville, NC, a treasured spot that Mike’s brother and wife plus many of our friends call home.

A camera shot of a broken-off chunk of Interstate 40 near Asheville has lodged in my mind’s eye.

We used to live in Asheville, so when the storm hit this past weekend, I imagined the details of many individual lives totally altered.  I thought of those who months ago secured wedding venues in Asheville. Then I pictured pregnant moms whose water broke in the middle of the night in a house without power or water, unable to get out to a hospital.  Have a few distressed husbands tried calming panicky wives all the while delivering their baby?

As of this first day in October, 2024, they say it’ll be weeks before the water repairs are done.

Down in Tampa, Graham and his family have power and water, but are concerned about their house due to a live wire lying on a tree branch dangerously close. Their neighbors are worried as well, since their houses sit close by.

When my Texas cousins suffered during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, I prayed daily.  But this feels different.  We’ve lived in Asheville, we know Tampa, and we are connected to far more people. 

I realize now how little I invest emotionally when tragedies and disasters strike parts of the world where I have no connection. I feel sad, and I ‘might’ offer a prayer, but my care ends there. Not so with our God.

‘Where is God in all this?’, someone might ask. Right with those suffering and those rescuing, a present help.

What can I learn at a distance that will prepare me now for when my ‘mountains’ collapse?


First, that the Lord has the right to interrupt ‘my’ life any time. Afterall, he owns it, for he created it. I am used to acknowledging my lack of control when I travel by car or by plane. Those situations bring me face to face with my powerlessness. I FEEL how ephemeral life is.

In those occasions I balk inwardly at that reality because I do long for a safe life seasoned with joy-producing novelties and happy interruptions.

The Holy Spirit uses this longing or ‘Sehnsucht’ as C.S. Lewis named it, reminding me that one day, what I know how God designed me to be will be satisfied. You and I were made to live forever.

And second, God grows my resolve loosely to hold to current circumstances and possessions. They are but temporary.  In the meantime, may I be faithful to pray for others, using my God-given imagination and doing what I can to help, even if at a distance.

When ‘my’ plans don’t work out

March 3, 2022

Maria 1 John 5, Faith, God's Sovereignty, Philippians 4, Spiritual Warfare, Worry , , , , Leave a comment

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7……(then) …. whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV

An alert from American Airlines interrupted my lunch last week as I was checking email.  Something to the effect that bad weather might disrupt our travel plans two days later, on the Friday. The airline offered to change our plans at no cost.

The possibility of weather problems had not crossed my mind.  Immediately Satan suggested all sorts of bad scenarios meant to distract me.  We were flying to Charlottesville, Virginia to care for grandkids so their parents could visit El Paso to look at houses.  This weather event would affect their flights as well.

Recognizing that I was beginning to fear the worst, I forced myself to go on the counter-attack. I reminded myself that:

  • The Lord has these trips already planned out.
  • He has stockpiled provisions we will need.
  • His plans are always best.

Satan stepped up the momentum.  But I strengthened my resolve, asking the Lord for supernatural help to fight back.  What came to mind was the promise that if I resist the devil’s suggestions about our future, he will flee. 

I kept up my trifecta of truth.  I declared out loud:  I can’t stop these lying images from entering my imagination, but I will immediately respond with what I know to be true. 

And so, I waged war.

I had to continue resisting Satan’s lying thoughts longer than I anticipated.  When we got to the airport last Friday, weather turned out not to be the problem.  But there were others.

The flight had a mechanical issue.  We deplaned and waited in line to consult with the gate agent about connecting flights. He booked us on a flight out of Charlotte, North Carolina for an airport 75 minutes away from our destination.  Presumably, we could Uber from there to Anne and Wes’ house. But by the time we landed in Charlotte, that flight had been cancelled.

By grace, we had already thought of renting a car in Charlotte.  Sure enough, that turned out to be Plan C. But would there be any rental cars available?  We kept praying.  Sure enough, the Lord’s stockpiled grace included a rental car that we could drop off at the Charlottesville airport the next day.

Knowing our delay, our son and daughter-in-law dropped off the children with a friend and headed to Washington, DC for their flight.  We picked up the kids 6 hours later than our original itinerary. Whew! Finally, we were in the house with the kids and their dog. But God’s grace did not end there.

Wes and Anne’s flight was delayed and they had to spend the night in Houston, Texas.  God’s stockpiled grace for them included a $400 credit with the airline. And Anne, who is 31 weeks pregnant, got to bed earlier than they had planned. They arrived in El Paso the next morning in time to meet the real estate agent. And saved one day’s worth of rental car expenses.

What did I learn?  Like a 2×4 to the head was the realization ‘What a waste of emotional energy, worrying about anything. The weather event evaporated.’

This experience showed me once more that victory over sinful fear and worry comes by means of exercising our trust in our good God who does all things well, though not always the way we would like.

John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote about this very scenario the four of us lived through : (and I paraphrase) ‘Our prevailing over Satan, the flesh and the world is a done deal. It is scripted that we conquer Satan and fear by means of taking God at his word and doing the next thing at hand.’

And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 ESV