A Butterfly tale

   As human beings we are entrusted with the care of many critters on this earth. Even though God surely provides, we are sometimes given the opportunity to assist in aiding and protecting some of his creatures. Of course we care for our own offspring, many of us care for dogs and cats and other domesticated beast, and we are also trusted to help feed his feathered and furry animals during the bitter cold of the winter. And then occasionally we are given the opportunity to assist in the rehabilitation of one of his most beautiful creations, like the butterfly.
   A couple of mornings ago, Cheryl assisted our two old and failing yorkies out for their early morning ritual. She literally had to carry them both down the flight of stairs from the deck to the ground level. It was there that she discovered the butterfly. It was a golden tiger swallowtail and it was incapacitated (She thought he was dead). She immediately went into rescue mode. There was a light rain falling, so she scurried around and found a couple of old plant tags and used them to scoop him off the ground. She carried him to the deck table and placed him underneath the umbrella. She found a cut box from Costco and placed him under the umbrella and out of the rain. He wasn't moving, he just lay there with his wings flattened out against the bottom of the box.
   We had recently purchased some humming bird feeders and we had a bottle of the red nectar, so she reasoned that the butterfly might get some nourishment from it. He never moved in our presence, so she nudged him up next to the drops of nectar. She went to work and checked on the internet for what you should feed a butterfly. She didn't learn much, but one article stated that they would eat a sweet sticky fruit like a banana. When she got home, he still set in the same place next to the nectar. The next morning she placed a small piece of banana through a small hole in the side of the box, because he had moved and now clung to the side of the box. We dared to hope. She managed to get the banana within reach of his proboscis and then we left for work. Neither of us returned until the early evening.

   When we checked the box that evening he had not moved but he had folded his wings up. Then, lo and behold, the next morning the young butterfly was gone, and all that was left was the piece of banana. Of course the banana looked undisturbed, but who knows, maybe a combination of the two revived and brought him back. One thing is for sure, if Cheryl had not rescued him from the wet ground, he would likely not have survived the day because it rained all day and into the night. We think that Cheryl did a good thing but the bluebirds would probably have preferred that we leave him on the ground so they could make a meal of him. We'll never know for sure, but you know, it feels good that she was able to bring him back for at least one more day. We're planting butterfly friendly bushes in the back yard to attract as  many of his kinfolks as possible. I have to believe that God is pleased when one of his creations looks after another. I think Cheryl said it best, "It feels so good to know that God has used you to help one of His beautiful helpless creatures."  Amen.




This is what he will grow to be at full maturity.