This piece of Snoppy wisdom was intriguing to me. I liked it. It encouraged. It led me to some research. It is a myth!

Butterflies can indeed see their own wings — at least most of the time. They have two large compound eyes with hundreds, and in some cases thousands of small lenses giving them a field of vision close to 360 degrees. The exception is the small place in the back of their bodies when at rest their wings are folded. In that position, they do not see their own wings.

But their vision is very blurry. Those thousands of small lenses focus on thousands of different places at the same time. They can’t comprehend the amazing patterns God has created in them. They can’t see their own beauty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I graduated from college with a degree in elementary education. I was on my way to third and fourth grade classrooms for the next few years. Those 30 or so 8-year-olds could be pretty intimidating.

In the evenings I would join some of my peers and head over to Western Michigan University to lead Bible studies with the college students. Those were busy years.

“You make known to me the path of life;”
Psalm 16:11

I was on a path; the path of life God designed me for. But my vision was blurry! I was focused on teaching … whether 8-year-olds or college students. My focus needed to be refined. I couldn’t clearly see God’s contribution for me, the beautiful intricate pattern he planned for me before I was born.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you:”
Jeremiah 1:5

Note the upper right corner

I love teaching. In college that love was honed both for an elementary classroom, and also for helping others grow in their spiritual lives.

And I was growing in my spiritual life too. As I learned to read my Bible with my ears, as I began to notice my desires and choices, something was growing inside me.

I heard the voice of God, Sue, you’ve got it right … at least partially. But your vision is a bit blurry, focused in too many places. You are a teacher. But I need you teaching adults, not 8 year olds.

As this beautiful Monarch Butterfly was feeding on my Marigolds earlier this month, the lesson was illustrated once again. When I’m teaching adults, through writing or speaking, there is joy as I live out the beauty God created in me. My focus is clear.

God created each of us with a beautiful design both to bring us joy and to bless others.
We desperately need each other to help us identify the context for our design.
We are designed to thrive and know joy in a specific context.

National Wildlife Federation

Copyright: Sue Tell, October 2023

Untamedanimals.com
Kidadl.com
Insectsplanet.com