As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. (Proverbs 27:19)
Color me Beautiful from within
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. (Proverbs 27:19)
thedailylily.com 
“Color me Beautiful from within”.
When I look at the photo I see work to do on the butterfly outline and examples of what a beautiful butterfly it could be depending on how it is colored.
Lately, Monarch butterflies have been active in our area, cycling through their transformations and renewal from egg to larva to pupa to flying adult. The beautiful adult is there in the “inner being” at every stage, but has to go through the stages successfully to emerge and take flight.
“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. (Proverbs 27:19)”.
This scripture reminded me of Lesson II, “Winter Tells Us”, in one of Sara’s workbooks, “Designs of One’s Heart”. I would like to share a few highlights related to this scripture that I found helpful to review and think on related to this blog.
“Solomon, a man of great wisdom says, “As in water face answers to and reflects face, so the heart of man, to man”. Proverbs 27:19 AMP. As you look in God’s face do you see your face? What do you see? It goes on to say in Proverbs, “For a man is judged by what he praises and of what he boasts.” Proverbs 27:21 AMP So we can judge ourselves by speaking what we see in that pool of reflection. In other words, what kind of person are you? What is your true character? What is the reflection in the pool saying to you?” (pg 3, Lesson II)
“Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11, will tell us the order of the table when we come to eat of the fruit. When the church comes to serve the fruit. It says to us, “Let a man examine himself.” And that’s why we meditate while looking in the reflecting pool. Our face is reflecting in the water showing us our hearts as we go and your heart meets with another heart. What are you and they seeing? What is coming from your mouth? When you’re offended what do you do? When all your friends leave you, even unto death, what do you do? Do you sing songs of praise? What are you boasting about all the time? What a lousy person he/she is? Examine yourself.” (pg 7, Lesson II)
“James 1:17-18 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, “[and we think of the Word of Truth as the water] that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” James 1:17-18NKJ Be a doer of God’s Word. You don’t listen and do not obey. That’s what James keeps telling us. He says, for instance, you’re like a man who looks at his face in the mirror or in the pool and you think and you reflect and you very thoughtfully observe yourself. You get up and leave the Garden of Gethsemane, agony of the soul, and you forget who you are where you have been…”
“When you’re offended what do you do? When all your friends leave you, even unto death, what do you do? “ Thanks for sharing Debi and for reminding us of the wonderful retreat book Sara worked, prayed, and shared with us. I was just listening this morning to a preacher on the radio about how we handle things when we are mistreated. He asked,” do we respond like Christ would?” He indicated, if I understood correctly, if we respond as Christ would that shows evidence of growing as a Christian. This lesson sure has me thinking, 🤔 I sure want to be as beautiful as that butterfly will be when the awesome colors are applied. I have to admit that I am a work in progress, sometimes my colors aren’t to pretty and I have to ask for forgiveness and try again to allow the Holy Spirit to “color me from within”.🙏
Debi, gives us a quick review of the transformation of Butterflies and made reference to how some of us have had the awesome experience recently of observing this transformation. I, for one felt the excitement of breath taking moments of watching this process.
Debi also gave us a clear insight of our transformation and the beginning of the process. Tammy caught the vision as she had ears to hear moments before from a preacher she heard on the radio just how to transform. Then her eyes saw the outline of a butterfly that needed coloring to unmask its beauty. I paused to ponder how many seeds and plants I provided in my garden in early spring to draw the attention of butterflies hoping to see and experience this transformation. The garden provided the sustenance and awesome were the results.
Debi read and posted scriptures from a workbook used to draw our attention to God the creator of all things. Tammy heard on radio a few years later words from the same source, the Word of God the creator of all things how to transform daily. The source provides all we need daily when we decide to come to the garden, the table, the place where we eat and drink from the well of life.
I want to make a quick reference to Tammy’s understanding of “work in progress”. I was walking thru my garden and saw on the ground a Monarch beauty that seemed lifeless. I gathered it carefully and brought to my sitting area feeling hopeless as to what to do. Within minutes Debi stopped by and being the diligent friend she is she offered to bury. I felt the tears starting to flow thinking no after all that butterfly had been through. Then she looking again and saw it was moving. It had life. So we quickly checked our iPhones to read and realized we had been thinking wrong. It just needed a little time to rest and fly. WOW! We can use those same iPhones to check a Manuel/Bible of truth when we are offended, wounded, hurt and fail to fly.
“We can use those same iPhones to check a Manuel/Bible of truth when we are offended, wounded, hurt and fail to fly.”
I was reading again this am in Sara’s workbook, “Designs of One’s Heart, Lesson II Winter Tells Us” and thought the following excerpts related.
“As you leave the garden remind yourself of the words from the Chinese philosopher who said, “Renew thyself each day. Do it again and again and forever, again.” I invite you to drink of the water before you leave. Renew yourself completely each day. And do it again and again and again. In other words, this is the circle of our wreath. The circle is complete. But I’d like for you to put a final touch on that circle, on that beautiful wreath. I’d like for you to put a bird of paradise to pledge your faith. A Scottish writer, J.M. Barrett wrote, in the early 1800’s, “The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply that they have perfect faith for faith is to have wings.” (pg 9)
“I’d like to read the last paragraph of a prophetic poem that I wrote on Winter.
“Winter is about to end
Why, I hardly even knew when it began
And I’m seeing the end.”
“So, I’d like to sing to you as you leave the Garden of Gethsemane. ‘Fly, my friends, fly, for your journey is about to end.’ In other words, be like that bird that even when you’re not flying and you’re walking, you’ll think you’re flying. Walk in the Spirit, day by day.”(pg 10)