On a recent morning I was in the back yard with my camera looking for things to photograph.  A beautiful golden Monarch Butterfly landed on a bush not more than three feet from me, spread its wings, and proudly displayed its magnificence.

 

A major part of the success of photography is being at the right place, at the right time, with the right camera lens. I was at the right place, at the right time, with the right camera, but the wrong lens. I had a 75 – 300 mm telephoto, automatic focus lens, which requires a minimum of 4.9 feet from the subject to focus.  Plus I had it set on auto-focus, which sometimes works against me because it focuses on the wrong thing at the wrong time.  By time I got everything set, the butterfly said, “see ya”, flew over the fence, and headed west.  With great agony I groaned a prayer--“Lord, please bring him back”.  I waited for several minutes, but to my disappointment he did a “no show.” I went into the house and put my camera away for another day.

 

A week or so later I was sitting at the kitchen table writing in my journal. This is my most affective way of praying and having devotion.  Often times my prayers are in the form of a letter to God and many times they turn into a two way conversation. I admit at times it seems like I am having a conversation with myself, but I know it is much deeper than that.

 

On this particular morning I was struggling with some issue. I was telling God I was making a commitment to trust Him no matter what.  You know, one of those times when I was probably trying to convince myself.  The voice in my mind said, “Let’s go outside and take some pictures.” My mind took a double-take. I paused.  He went on to say, “The monarch you asked me to bring back is out there.” Doubt jumped up in my face. It was one of those times when you get a test.

 

I learned a long time ago that these tests are not for God to see where I am. He already knows.  These tests are for me to know where I am. I meant what I had just told Him about trusting him so I put down my pen, went to my office, and got my camera.  I moved mighty slowly in putting the camera on the tripod before going to the back yard.

 

As I went out on the back porch, Baby, our American Husky, was her usual excited self. She wanted to be petted and was hoping for a treat.  I petted her and told her to hang loose for a few minutes, which, of course, meant nothing to her. She raced through the door when I opened it.  The chances of the butterfly staying, with all that activity, were slim to none.  I got Baby quieted down and I surveyed the yard. Nothing.

 

Then from the west came a golden monarch and flew into our blackberry patch. Because of a net and wire fence around the patch, the tripod was going to be a hindrance. I removed the tripod, walked slowly to the fence, lifted up the netting, made sure my camera was set on macro, and began taking pictures. One of the things I love about a digital camera is I can take hundreds of pictures at no cost. Sometimes I need to take that many pictures to capture the one picture I want.  Butterflies don’t normally pose with a smile.

 

As I took picture after picture I couldn’t get a good one.  Suddenly he flew to the top of the net into a corner where I couldn’t see him.  I crept around the patch through the garden to the other side stepping over tomato plants and trying to be graceful.  When I finally was able to get under the netting, to my surprise, there were two of them--mating.  I gave up.

 

I got out of the netting, climbed over the tomato plants, and a beautiful Monarch sitting on a bush waiting for me.  This is the one God brought back. I got my picture. It will always will be a tremendous reminder of how personal God’s relationship is to me.