'The Bottom Line'

💙🦋 The royal blue (of various hues) and black, ornate Butterfly, fluttered around me, that hot, humid, and sunny day, as if it were trying to deliver a "Heavenly message," which, I believe that "he/she" actually accomplished! 🦋 It was Tuesday - the day after 'Labor Day,' and, believe it - or not - the first time during the "Summer of 2018," that, I had enjoyed a "pool day!" 🌊🌞⛱ I had not even been out by the pool - the entire season (due to a very difficult "season" that I am experiencing in my life). 😕 Anyone who really knows me - knows that I love "the water," and, thoroughly enjoyed the pool - the first eight years we had it!  However, this and last, Summer - not so much! 😔 My family often called me a "water dawg" throughout my childhood (to highlight how unlike me it is to not enjoy a pool in my backyard)! 😏 Whenever, I was literally down there, and, in the lovely water, I couldn't believe it, because, I had resigned my thinking 💭 to the idea, a few weeks ago, that, I would go an unprecedented (for me), entire Summer - without swimming (attributed to a lack of - desires and motivation, along with, dread and anxiety)! 😳🌊 ...WOOP! ...I overcame the possible defeat of - zero swimming during one Summer (for the first time in my life)!! 🤗🙌🏼 And, 'The good Lord' gets the glory for giving me the desire, motivation, determination, energy, ability to override the back pain, etc. (Psalm 120:1)! 🙌🏼💜 I DID enjoy my "pool time!" 🏊🏼‍♀️💙 I am continuing to choose to believe (in faith) that, my "pool day" is a "preview" (if you will) of my "comeback," from the long, unexpected, arduous, etc. "valley and/or season of despair" (V.S.D. - I'll use this abbreviation - for this post), in which I've been treading! 🙏🏼🙌🏼✝️ This "pool day" happening was extremely important to me, because,  in a strange way, it sparked a "glimmer of hope" inside me, signifying that, this "valley/season" (V.S.D.) shall end - sometime and somewhere, even if it's "over the rainbow!" 🌈 GOD has blessed me so much more than I deserve - throughout my entire life, however, HE has also put some extremely challenging and/or difficult stuff in it!  But, by HIS Grace (HE created me), etc., HE has given me the wisdom, etc., to - love and trust - HIM, understanding that, I would be insane to not!! 🤔🙌🏼😜  At the PERFECT time, my loving, omniscient, etc., Father - sent the exact type of encouragement in which HE knows that I needed, and then, HE signed it with a 🦋 Butterfly (another "God wink and/or hug," about which I wrote in a previous 'blog-post')! 🕊 That's HIM!! 🙌🏼 This little "Butterfly scenario" of mine may seem insignificant, stupid, or whatever, to you, but, to me, it was/is VERY meaningful, comforting, etc.!  It is like, my extremely - busy and important, "DADDY," took the precious time out of HIS full "schedule" to lovingly make sure that I, one of HIS "lil" kiddos, knows that, HIS eye is on me, and, HE'S "got my back (so to speak)!" PTL!!! 🦋🙌🏼🙏🏼 As a young adult I really liked the band, 'Journey!' 🎶 Anymore, I try to mostly listen to "Christian-type 🎶 music." Anyway, one of my favorite 'Journey' songs is, 'Don't Stop Believ'n.' 🙏🏼 It's, ironic and funny, to me that, one of those 'FB' quizzes, attributed this song as being - my life's theme song! 😊 I think that is pretty 😎 "cool," especially, presently, as I apply it to my (V.S.D.)!!  We must never stop believing in our amazing GOD (no matter what our circumstances of life seem to be "telling" us)! 😉😄 And then, today, as I was listening to Joni Erickson Tada's devotional on the internet, I looked up at my t.v. screen, as she was speaking about the Bible verse - 1 Peter 1:7 (concerning the preciousness of the trying of the faith in a Believer's life), and, on the t.v. screen - a picture from the "Christian music" t.v. channel, was a large, blue and black, colored 🦋 Butterfly, which looked almost identical to the one which was fluttering around me Tuesday - at the end of my "pool day!" 😮 I believe that - ALL of this (LIFE occurrences) is not coincidental! 🙌🏼 I believe that - NOTHING - is a real accident, and that, it is - ALL - somehow - a part of God's - awesome, providential plan (just my opinion, but, it IS based on truths - which are conveyed throughout the pages of 'The Bible')! 📖 😳😂...hehehe!! ...I just dozed off, while I was typing this post, and, dropped my 'iPhone' onto my stomach, which, upon landing on my stomach - woke me up!! 🤣 It seems to me that, God delights in surprising us with "winds of hope" (if you will), whenever, we least expect it, and, evidently, whenever HE knows that we need it the most!? 🕊🦋 The entire "pool day" experience, was like - eating a big slice of delicious, dark chocolate cake, and, the beautiful Butterfly was the thick, yummy, dk. choc. icing/frosting, on it! 🍫🍰 I may eat a few more slices - before Summer is over, and we close the pool - for the wintertime?! 🌊❄️ We shall see!? 😉 I really did "sense" in my "spirit-man," that 'The Good Lord,' was encouraging me, by giving me this unexpected "pool day," in the midst of my (V.S.D), and, HIS mission with this was successful! 😃🙌🏼 As I walked up the steps out of the basement, that gorgeous afternoon, I "felt" invigorated...a sensation that had not "felt" for quite a while! 🤗 I thanked my 'Lord,' over and over, for the special attention with which HE had Graced me that whimsical afternoon, because, it was very encouraging, and, I choose to believe that 'The. Good Lord,' was giving me hope that my (V.S.D.) shall be ending soon...therefore, "just hang in there!" 🙌🏼🙏🏼💜 Lately, I am realizing that - some things are NOT going to happen, no matter what, and, vice versa (it matters not how persistently, in faith, a person prays, although, HE does - hear and answer - prayers, and even, changes HIS mine in response to our requests - sometimes)! 😕And, things that ARE predestined to happen and/or to not happen, shall occur - or not occur - when, and only when - GOD allows! 😏 Therefore, I have decided that - I may as well, relax, and, LET HIM help me - DEAL with the current moment (the only thing that I really have) in which I find myself, enjoy it - the best way that I can (through HIS - grace, Spirit, etc.), and - continue choosing to - love and trust - HIM! 😌🙏🏼🙌🏼 Is this always easy for me to do, you might ask?!  No, it is not...is my answer!  However, after dealing with life both ways, I've found that - living this way is much more peaceful than the opposite way! 📖🙏🏼✝️🙌🏼 Most matters are "out of my hands," anyway, so, what good does "stressing out" over them do?!  NONE!!  😌 Like I've already written, "the bottom line" for me - concerning this subject, is that, I choose to - love and trust - GOD, after all, HE unconditionally loves me, and, HE is trustworthy!  I truly believe that, I cannot "go wrong," doing these two things! You might want to try this, IF, you aren't already doing it! Hey, it just hit my mind that, maybe, the "Butterfly" was conveying to me that, soon, I would finish my "metamorphosis" from this "frustrated Caterpillar" that I am - into a beautiful, free "Butterfly!?" 🐛🦋 😘😊✝️🙌🏼🙏🏼💜..,👋🏼...until next time...🦋