The Butterfly Effect

A few weeks ago, I took a trip with my mom and sister to visit my grandma in Indiana. Looking out of the car window over the course of our 5-hour drive across 3 states, I noticed hundreds of bright yellow butterflies. I was spotting them every few seconds, sometimes one at a time, sometimes in groups. I’d never seen such a thing, and the fact that the phenomenon spanned such a large region made me curious. Could this be symbolic somehow? I like to think I’m a pretty pragmatic sort of gal, and I normally do not search for nor stumble upon any kind of meaningful symbolism in everyday situations, but it was as if all these butterflies were trying to slap me in the face with their tiny yellow wings, saying, “Pay attention! We’re trying to tell you something!”

I pointed out the butterflies to my traveling companions. I mentioned to them that when I see butterflies, I often think of my papaw who passed away several years ago. At his funeral, someone who eulogized him compared him to a butterfly, and that always resonated with me. It was my papaw’s home that we were on our way to visit. My mom surmised that perhaps the butterflies were a sign that my papaw was watching over us on our trip. But, I wasn’t so sure.

I continued noticing the yellow butterflies throughout our stay. One morning, I was sitting on the porch with my grandma, mom, and sister when a large yellow butterfly flew right up to us. It almost flew into my mom’s face, hovered there for a moment, then flew amongst the rest of us before taking off. This sealed my suspicions. There was some kind of meaning attached to these butterflies, and I wanted to find out what it was. I wanted to look up the possible symbolism on the internet, but I would have to wait until I got back home to do my research.

When I got home, I immediately consulted the wisdom of the internet. In conducting my search about the symbolism of yellow butterflies, I found many ideas, but some of the more common themes included rebirth and guardian angels. Then, I read an account of someone who found themselves suddenly and mysteriously surrounded by yellow butterflies, then told by an anonymous stranger that being surrounded by the butterflies meant that “everything would be okay.” I pondered on all this for a while, and it seemed like the basic gist of the message delivered by the butterflies was, “Everything will be okay.”

While the massage may seem flat on the surface, I think it is hugely profound and comforting. I think that God sent a message to me (Ms. Pragmatic) and my family that because we are reborn in Him, we can rest in Him and have peace and comfort knowing that, overall, “everything will be okay.” I talked with my sister about this, and she said that she came to the same conclusion and also felt like the butterflies were there to get my attention so I could hear this Divine message. I still think it must sound a little crazy, but I was reflecting on all of it the other day in a particular state of emotional turmoil, and I thought about how when life’s circumstances become tumultuous, I can have rest in God. And that’s true whether or not it took a fleet of butterflies to keep that in my mind.

While we were on that trip, my mom told me a lot about how stressful her job was becoming and how she was sure she’d have to find a new place to work. She was very distressed. Shortly after coming home, her whole perspective changed, and she reported a new peace about her job. It had seemed as if her situation was hopeless before, and suddenly, she felt that God had helped her find happiness. I immediately thought of the yellow butterflies, particularly the big one that so prominently approached her that morning in Indiana.

I am very thankful for the special message to me and my family. Yellow butterflies will always be special to me and will forever remind me that “everything will be okay.”

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”