In the Bulb

In the bulb, there is a flower,
in the seed, an apple tree
In the chrysalis a hidden promise...butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter,
there's a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

There's a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody,
There's a dawn in every darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future,
what it holds, a mystery
Unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning,
in our time, infinity.
In our doubt there is believing,
in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection,
at the last, a victory.
Unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see."

Hymn of Promise, Natalie Sleeth

Lessons Mother
Taught Us

Sshe planted dill for swallow-tails
and milkweed where monarchs
would lay their caterpillar offspring round the grass green meadows of May.

The migrants returned then as always;
how quickly her crops were consumed!
but countless chrysalides dotted the dell
tucked inside their golden cocoons.

Then early one morning she beckoned
us watch the mystery unfold;
the metamorphosis almost complete
translucent shells gave up their gold.

Wet wings greeted the rising sun
and the warmth of a soft summer breeze, soon butterflies coloured meadow and wood floating gracefully throughout the trees.

She told us of unseen transcendings
as we watched the born-agains soar;
so certain were we then of heaven
as if we had been there before.

Native American Legend

As a gift to His human children, the Great Spirit created butterflies. He took black from the maiden's hair, yellow from the warm summer sun, and blues from the lake and sky. Once he gathered the most beautiful of colors, He made them into butterflies.

If you want a special wish to come true, capture a butterfly and whisper your heart's desire to it. Since butterflies make no sound, they cannot tell the wish to anyone but Him. Being so colorful, the butterflies will easily be seen and the heart's prayers quickly answered.

Today this couple, (say couple's name here), has chosen to keep this tradition by performing this unique form of celebration. By making a wish and releasing the butterfly, it will be taken on the wings of love to the heavens and granted.

Softly whisper your wish for their eternal love and bliss, then carefully open your envelope and free the beautiful creature resting inside.

Keys of Light

The child whispered, "God, speak to me" and the meadowlark sang. The child did not hear.

So the child yelled, "God, speak to me!" and the thunder rolled across the sky. But the child did not listen.

The child looked around and said, "God, let me see you" and a star shone brightly. But the child did not know.

So the child cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here!" Whereupon, God reached down and touched the child.

But the child brushed the butterfly away and walked away unknowingly.

A Symbol of Hope
“A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam.
And for a brief moment its glory and beauty
Belong to our world.
But then it flies on again,
And though we wish it could have stayed,
We feel so lucky to have seen it.”

I Am Not There
Do not stand by my grave and weep
For I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am diamonds that glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of butterflies in joyous flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.

That is Dying
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the forming breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" "Gone Where?" Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

Henry Van Dyke

Rebirth
The butterfly is one of
God’s most gorgeous creatures,
And its life cycle is much like our own.
Its fragile beauty is
Deceiving, for it is much stronger
than it appears, as are we.
It struggles for life and goes
through many changes,
before
Becoming a creature of
great beauty, as do we.

In Honor of Me
As you release this butterfly
in honor of me,
Know that I’m with you
and will always be.

Hold a hand, say a prayer,
Close your eyes and see me there.

Although you may feel a bit torn apart,
Please know that I’ll live forever
in your heart.

Now fly away butterfly
as high as you can go,
I’m right there with you
more than you know.

While Waiting for Thee
Don’t weep at my grave,
for I am not there,
I’ve a date with a butterfly
to dance in the air.
I’ll be singing in the sunshine,
wild and free,
Playing tag with the wind,
while I’m waiting for thee.

Butterfly Spirit
The soul is of eternity -
it dwells in human form,
then moves beyond
but never, ever ceases...
And like the butterfly
emerging from dark chrysalis
each soul attains its wings
as it releases.