Butterflies in close-up. These beauties were photographed in the safe, controlled, environment at ZSL Butterfly House in Regent’s Park, London. No predators threaten them. Food is readily available. It’s a carefree life.
The first shot is taken from above the butterfly, and displays the lovely spots and stripes of a resting insect. In the second photo, a more dynamic pose reveals the translucent pattern of the wings- and the perky head suggests to me a “cheeky chappie” who is about to say “You alright, mate?”
An odd little thing- spiky legs, whiplash antennae, and those delicate coloured wings that grant the gift of flight.
If a butterfly should be able to describe us, I think it would be lost for words! Huge lumpy thing, ponderously looming overhead, like a thundercloud… doesn’t seem to be dangerous… perhaps I’ll sit on it next… Ooh Look! a flower!
Carefree, safe, content. A perfect life.
Our hope is for a renewed, reborn creation. Our lives are marked by stress, anguish, fear, and joy; and our awareness and consciousness means we have a sense of striving. In Ecclesiastes 3 v11, the author says “God has set eternity in our hearts.” We are restless, reaching out from the ordinary into the “what-might-be,” so we are rarely carefree.
Yet there is a hope, a promise that there is a “what-shall-be” where everything will be in its proper state and place: and God guarantees the promise! Revelation 22 v17: “Come, whoever is thirsty; accept the water of life as a gift, whoever wants it.”
It is in trusting that we abandon our cares into the stronger Hands of God: that is the real “carefree” life.
