I’m drinking my coffee this morning perched on a black polka dotted swing cushion gazing at an overcast sky, beautiful layers of silk sky fabric in pale elderberry and whipping cream colors, resting on the antique cutting table of the horizon. Prettiest overcast sky canvas I’ve every seen sketched by Father Sky and his pastels. The sun is doing her best to unwind the bolts of exquisite fabric to kiss the morning hello with her warmth. A cool breeze is helping unroll the cloth and touching each wind chime, their soft tintinnabulations a mid-day pleasant lullaby. My yard is teeming with birds enjoying the newly mown grass and the fresh sunflower seeds. The songbirds’ symphony is loud and cheerful, blending charmingly with the wind chimes’ musical notes.

A flock of purple finches is squabbling over one feeder when there are two dozen other feeders to choose from. The finches clean this feeder of seeds every day. Every now and then the finches flit over and sit around the edge of the birdbath and sip water. I know their throats are dry from all their squabbling. The cardinals, tired of the finches’ noisiness, are flocking to the feeders on the other side of the yard. I hope they won’t eat a butterfly for a snack. Silver spotted skippers, fiery skippers, and gulf fritillary butterflies are practicing their ballet dances on the zinnias. A lone cabbage white butterfly was trying to join the dance troupe. My youngest son cautioned me to leave them alone and let them enjoy dancing in the sunshine. So I watched them from my perch on the porch. I wanted to photo the cabbage white for my butterfly photograph collection.

Late afternoon as I took Penelope for a walk, I noticed a large deep orange gulf fritillary dancing alone on the hot pink zinnias. As she danced, I captured her in an arabesque, her toe pointed perfectly as she stood elegantly on one leg. So pretty, like she was was posing for the camera. I love butterflies, God’s beautifully watercolored creatures. Such a short life they live but so gloriously dancing in the sun embracing their days. We should be so grateful.

I sit down in the swing as it thunders and the breeze gets heavy and I see the goofy little squirrel that likes to stand and glare at me running towards the porch steps. Kat saw him in the yard and bolts off the porch to defend her mama. The squirrel turned and ran, leaping to the big old oak trunk and began belting out the “Frank” alarm. A lightning bolt shortly sent us all running inside.

This has been a beautiful day. The first verse in Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Isaiah 40:26 encourages us to “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these?” I’ve often wondered why God chose to color his world. He could have made things black and white but he picked up his watercolor palette and brushes and made his creation a thing of colorful beauty to be experienced by everyone regardless of their faith. Ecclesiastes 3:11 reads, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” The sunsets, the flowers, the butterfly wings…all gifts from God considered “common grace.” Common grace extends God’s kindness and provision to all people, not just for believers.

God brings beauty to all things. Even in our difficult moments God is with us providing peace and comfort. We find his beauty through our hope and faith. When circumstances are painful we feel God’s compassion and love through our prayers. We have to trust God is in control. He will turn our difficulties into something beautiful and purposeful. “The world is charged with the grandeur of God,” Gerard Manley Hopkins.

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” — Buddha