Chasing Blue Butterflies

“And you will seek Me and you will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” - Jeremiah 29:13

This weekend we had a special family moment with Scarlett while Johnny still felt good. She brought over a DVD called “The Blue Butterfly” and I boiled a cauldron of fresh peanuts to munch as we watched. Yum! Salty, soft and “sinfully” delicious!

I love how God always finds a way to deliver messages we need to hear at the right moment and in delightful ways. Our family gathering on Sunday was such a day. I wish everyone could watch this movie. I think we each have our own “blue butterfly moments” in life and the message is for all of us.

I take this story to heart as Johnny descends into “chemo-storm #3.” The stormier the times the more our faith gets bombarded with fear and doubts and questions. We seek the answers through the jungles of life looking for the “blue butterfly” that will make everything clear.

In this movie, a little boy with a passion for the study of insects, had brain cancer and 6 months left to live. His “hero” was a reknowned scientist who had found the rare blue butterfly in the amazon rainforests. The scientist believed the butterfly held magical powers and the answers to all life’s questions if you held it in your hand.


The little boy convinced his Mother to find this scientist so he could take him to this blue butterfly before he died and find the answers to all his questions. The scientist at first refused but was persuaded when he realized that they shared the same passion for nature and had the same courageous spirit to venture into the jungle in search of a dream.

So off they went, with wheelchair in hand, in search of the impossible. They only had a one week window of opportunity to find it in season and the odds were stacked against them totally. I mean really. Here’s a boy who can’t walk straight because of the tumour on his brain. But yet the jungle, the monkeys and snakes and insects, the trees, the leeches, the rain, the chug-a-long boats, the canoes, the heat, the primitive natives, the descension into the farthest corners from civilization – nothing could stop this little boy from finding the truth or believing it was even possible. He knew with every fiber of his being that if he just could be shown the way he was going to find that blue butterfly!

He does eventually find the butterfly – in its favorite habitat near exploding waterfalls. But the truths he seeks were unexpected. They were found IN THE JOURNEY to find the butterfly. The natives had tried to tell him that the blue butterfly was everywhere – that one had simply to open your eyes – that the miracles we look for are all around you.

In the end, the butterfly found the boy and was captured by “love” in a beautiful and heartfelt way by someone who wanted to help him. In the end, it was not only the boy who was touched with a miracle. It was everyone on the journey with him that was transformed.

The most beautiful part of this story is the fact that it is true. The young boy’s cancer magically disappeared and he lived many more years.

Ok. Is it just me or can all of you see the wonderful analogies in this story that apply to our search for God and the power we have through Him living in us?

When my faith is tested I plunge deeper into the word. When I search with all my heart the right verses “light up” before me in brilliant hues and reveal just what I was looking for.

We cannot make the journey alone. Every heart that has touched us in one way or another is a candle that lights the way through the jungle of the unknown and shows us the right paths. Oh! This reminds me of a favorite poem but I don’t know the author:

You can’t light a candle
To show others the way
Without feeling the warmth
Of that bright little ray.
And you can’t give a rose
All fragrant with dew
Without some of it’s sweetness
Remaining on you.

Here is another quote by Dwight Moody that really reminds me of how miracles find there way to us:

A little faith will bring your soul to heaven,
But a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.

The little boy in the movie had that giant kind of unadulterated faith that moves mountains. Or at least jungles. Now I know what it means when Jesus tells us that unless we become as little children we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. We need to keep that childlike faith that believes no matter what – despite the circumstances we see around us.

The prospect of imminent death forces you to draw the line in the sand. Faith cannot wait another second. It is now or never. In my own journey battling cancer I truly was able to see my diagnosis as a gift. I realized you never really live until you honestly believe you are going to die. Suddenly every second counts. Every moment has meaning. You feel as if you have sleepwalked through life and now you are awake.

My wish for you all is that you too will find the blue butterflies you seek in life. As you journey through your own jungles I encourage you to keep your eyes wide open and gasp at the precious things that are right in front of your eyes. Hug the ones you love. Forgive those who have hurt you. Cherish all the blessings you have. Thank the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit for the gift of life – as long as we have it.

Where there is life there is power. It is waiting for us to find it – just like the blue butterfly. So claim it. Decree it. Use it. Spread it to everyone you meet. Find the life you have always dreamed of. Every moment counts. So keep the faith.