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Connecting to God Through Nature

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Psalm 96:11-12


Charlotte Rhodes Memorial Butterfly Park is one of the "must stop" places on our annual Acadia NP retreat.

The quiet and the butterflies remind me that God constantly renews our souls. 

Yes, it's a long nine-hour drive to Acadia via interstates and state highways to Southwest Harbor and the beginning of our spiritual renewal.

Christian tradition views the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection.

A butterfly represents an insect who "dies" as a caterpillar, is buried in the cocoon, and emerges in a new life. 

Butterfly Park allows you to meander through the flowers, watch the butterflies, sit on one of the park's benches and absorb an inlet's beauty.

From a bench, one may catch glimpses of butterflies flitting from one bloom to bloom.

As Cleland Boyd McAfee might describe the park in his hymn, this a place of quiet rest,
near to the heart of God.

The setting and the butterflies seem to transcend the moment and renew one's soul.

This is the blessing of Butterfly Park.

Although butterflies aren't mentioned in Psalm 23, quiet waters, and green grass are part of restoring one's soul.

Shortly, the "trees of the forest" will be providing a colorful reminder of a new cycle's beginning.

It seems to me that whether you are sitting in a window overlooking God's creation or sitting quietly in its midst, you are making a God-connection. 

Through nature you are connecting to God and opening yourself to God's renewing power.

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