I AM with you always.

Butterflies have always been an encouragement to me. They are the symbol of restoration, hope & something new & beautiful. I shared this with a precious young woman I have the privilege to share Jesus love with.

She has a life long history of brokenness, hopelessness & horrible abuse. Anything hopeful was foreign to her yet she clung to a hope that there had to be something better. She was very fearful to share things from her past because she was always told no one would believe her & no one would care. You could see how fearful it would be to share yet she continued to press through. We did most of our counseling outside. God always showed up at just the time she needed it.

Every time she needed encouragement a butterfly (or two or three or more) would fly by her or land on her to see, it was as if God was revealing His presence, His faithfulness, and His love for her through this tangible symbol. It became something that we would laugh at. At just the time that she needed hope that she could face the incredible pain from her past God brought that hope in front of her eyes to see.

Recently she was looking at some extremely painful hurts done by some people who were supposed to protect her. She was afraid to look at it. As she was sitting outside a butterfly came & landed on her pen. As she watched it the butterfly then flew to her left shoulder & then to her right. She said she had such peace come over her that she was able to sit there & look at the pain with hope that this pain was not the end of her story. She said she felt God’s presence.

It is priceless to see hope in the eyes of such a wounded soul. She has a hard road ahead in healing but she can tell you that she knows she is not alone & she has a hope not that “there has to be something better” but that there IS Someone better – Jesus Christ.

- Carrie Libonati, Lydia Center, Learning Center Instructor