Butterfly in the sky, I can fly twice as high…

It’s been a full week as I’ve tied up loose ends at work and prepared to get on a flight to witness my friends’ wedding this weekend.

While it’s been full, I’ve been trying hard to slow down and breathe and take some time to be out in nature. I went on a long hike Monday afternoon. Everything is super lush and green from all of the rain we’ve had and the bugs are reappearing after a long, cold winter. As I walked the trail, a butterfly crossed my path. A small black and electric blue fluttery thing.

This morning as I took Britt on her walk, a large yellow and orange beauty flapped furiously in front of us. I always want to get a little closer, see the wing details just a little better. Maybe I need to practice standing still so one might land on me for a moment.

…

Right now, I’m on a plane. I’m very sleepy from finishing last minute work things, getting packed, and running errands this morning so I planned to nap on this flight. It’s a short one, though. Just 37 minutes in the air from Charlottesville to Charlotte. Maybe I’ll close my eyes on the next flight.

I love gazing out the window; it’s one of my very favorite things, I never cease to be amazed at the fact that I can sit in a seat thousands of miles above the earth and get to a different state (and sometimes a different country) in a matter of hours. Don’t explain the physics to me…I just want to marvel that such a thing can happen.

The clouds are incredible today.

What a change in perspective.

What an opportunity to gaze upon nature up close (from above and beside and within) when I can usually only see it from below and from very far away.

They remind me of the fluffy dumplings I put on top of chicken soup in the winter.

This week has been full not only of work tasks, but also of time spent reorienting myself toward the work I do. Writing is a tricky, personal business and it’s easy to let my worth get wrapped up in the pieces I compose.

It’s important for me to take a minute now and then to get some new perspective.

I do that by walking trails and considering the butterflies and the clouds and talking to God along the way…and I also do that by sitting quietly in the morning and for little snippets throughout the day.

While reflecting and journaling earlier this week I opened by Bible app and really connected with the verse of the day…

I try not to take scripture verses out of context and I definitely want to return to Galatians and study more deeply, but I’m grateful that this verse crossed my path in that moment. It provided such a nice opportunity for a shift in perspective. A good reminder of who I am and what I have been invited to do in this season. I’m grateful.

♦♦♦

What helps shift your perspective when you feel stuck or discouraged? Is it something in nature? Words from a good book or film? Coffee with a friend? I’ve found these opportunities are all around when I stop to notice.