I took this first picture when we were visiting the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. They have a lot of great things to see and one of my favorite exhibits was the Aquarium’s Butterfly Garden. They had several different types of butterflies and many would land on your hands. It was so cool. This large butterfly resting on some unknown gentleman’s hand is known as a Blue Morpho. The name comes from the blue color that is seen on the top of their wings (that photo courtesy of the Aquarium’s website). The brown underside helps them stay camouflaged while they eat fruit from the forest floor.

When that butterfly took off and flew away from the man’s hand, you could see its bright vivid colors. My wife Marta pointed out that as impressive as that butterfly was while it was at rest, its true beauty is only apparent when it opens up its wings and flies. And so it is with us. God has a plan and a purpose for each and every one of us. He has unique gifts and abilities with which He has blessed us all. We are at our best when we use our gifts and put God’s handiwork on display. As Paul said in Romans 12:6 “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…” When we do, it is truly a beautiful thing.