“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” Amish Proverb

Barbara Miller stood at her kitchen window watching the Purple Martins flutter in and out of the houses her late husband had put up just two days before he passed. Tears were clouding her eyes as she remembered how proud he was that he had surprised her with so many houses and that she could see them out of the window of her basement kitchen.

It was warmer than normal for a spring day, and she was happy she could bake her pies in the coolness of the basement. The boys where busy playing out back, her laundry was drying nicely on the porch and all she had to do was bake five shoofly pies to take to the benefit auction on Saturday. For some reason, her mind was racing and no matter how hard she tried the fear of what the future might bring weighed her down. Why couldn’t she enjoy the beautiful day Gott had provided for her instead of wasting her time being so anxious about tomorrow?

Taking a deep breath and placing both hands on the counter to give her strength she said out loud.

“Enough is enough! I’m not doing this today. Lord help me put my trust in you.  I’m not asking why you took my John from me. I’m just asking that you help me figure out what you want me to do next. The boys need a father, and I can’t take care of this farm by myself anymore.  Why is it so hard for me to hear your voice? What am I not seeing that you are trying to show me? I’m so fearful of what tomorrow will bring that I can’t find rest.”

Just then the screen door banged and her two boys came running in leaving a trail of muddy footprints behind them. “Look, Mamm; look what we found!”

Amos proudly held a stick in front of her face as David start to chatter about being able to see the colors on the butterfly wings through its shell.

Oh my, what a wonderful find. It’s about ready to hatch. We need to get it back outside so it can fly away when it’s free.

Shooing them out the door, she directed them to the big maple tree in the front yard.

“Let’s lean the stick up against the tree and watch it hatch,” she said.

Taking the stick from Amos’s hand, she propped it up against the tree and pointed to the ground instructing them to take a seat.

In what seemed like slow motion they watched as the orange and black butterfly broke free from its chrysalis. As soon as the butterfly started to shake its wings to dry, an overwhelming calmness came over her. Not in an audible voice, but something deep inside her she heard the words.“You too can break free  – just trust me.”

Looking down at her boys and then back to the butterfly she watched as it stretched its wings and took off in flight.  The boys jumped up as fast as they could and ran after it trying to catch up with the flutter of orange and black.

Staying put, she couldn’t help but smile as she watched her boys thrive in the freedom they had at just being boys.

Then it hit her. They don’t have a care in the world because they put all their trust in me.

Standing up to brush the grass off her apron she turned to go back to her pies as she said to herself. “Thank you, Lord, for showing me how to put childlike trust back in you. I still don’t know what I’m going to do about this farm, but for now, I’m laying my worries aside and want to put my trust in You just like my boys have no fear and put all their trust in me.”