THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT AND … WHEN THE GRAPES OF WRATH RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN PRAYER
/THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT AND … WHEN THE GRAPES OF WRATH RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN PRAYER
By: Officer Deon Joseph
Today was one of the best days off I ever had. It was nothing special. It was one I desperately needed after a really tough week of shootings, death and my memory failing me from “the 40s.” I really needed a moment.
So I’m cleaning out my garage with my sons. For the past month, this butterfly with neon wings has been flying around my home. It is as if every time I step out of my home, it decides to put on a show for me. It kept happening. I told my boo about it and she said it was some kind of blessing. I laughed it off. Two weeks later, two neon-winged butterflies waited for me to exit my front door and started flying all around my home. I like nature, but it was strange. I have never seen butterflies around my home like that for the 17 years I’ve been here.
The third week there was the same two with a new one, with huge gold and black wings. They were my two favorite colors. It flew around my wife’s rosebush with the other two. I wanted to test something. I got into my car and drove around the block. When I came back they were gone. I got out of my car and as I approached my door, they reappeared flying around again. They always kept a safe distance, but were closer than before. I told my wife and kids. They saw them, too. One of my kids thought I was tripping when I said they were drawn to me … until today.
As I was loading trash into my garbage, I walked it to the curb. My son looked at me to tell me something. The two neon-winged beauties were flying around each other. I don’t know if it was some kind of mating dance or what. But they literally flew two inches from my face and danced in front of me for ten seconds, then flew to my rosebush meeting up with the larger one with the black and gold wings.
My son smiled in amazement. It was the coolest thing ever. Before this began happening, I dreaded going outside my door, knowing I was about to drive into utter failure. Those butterflies motivate me to go outside just to see something beautiful. Maybe that’s God’s way of lifting my head in this weird space I am in.
So I then go into my den to chill. I look out my back door and see two men molesting my grape tree from the neighbor’s fence. Yes. It was wrapped around her lemon tree, but they were treating my beautiful tree like it stole something from them. I went outside to let them have it. But as I watched, my tree was overgrown and the high leaves were dying so I didn’t trip. But … my wife saw it and lost it. My tree was now slumped over and looking horrible. We tried communicating with the men, but there was a language barrier.
So we decided to walk around the block and discuss the issue with our neighbor. When she came to the door we started to tell her about herself, but she said to me. “You were the one who called the police a year ago when my husband was attacking me.” I wasn’t sure if I should answer that. She apologized about the gardeners and told them to lay off my tree. It was too late, but oh well. She then invited us to her backyard and asked again “Were you the neighbor who called the police last year about this time, when my husband attacked me?”
One thing I don’t do is lie. I told her I did. I thought it was an argument that was getting out of control. She said he was beating her. He was arrested that night and after 35 years of being abused by him, no one to help her. No one calling the police, she was finally free from him. I never knew he was beating her. But I knew what I heard that night wasn’t normal.
“Thank you so much. He’s been gone for a year. I got the house, and God answered my prayer to free me from him. I never had the courage to do it until you called. Sorry about your grape tree. Come into my yard. I’ll give you some cones to prop up your tree.”
As we entered her yard, she had so many beautiful trees. Grape trees, pomegranate trees, navel orange trees. She had green thumb swag all over her. Since my orange tree and grape tree were struggling, I asked her for her secret. She said “Prayer, Deon. When my husband was abusing me, these trees suffered. When he left they flourished as I prayed for these trees and for me to get better. It’s prayer Deon. Don’t give up on prayer.”
It was message I needed to hear. I haven’t prayed in almost a month. It’s not that I lost faith in God. I just began to accept this weird valley I’m in as God’s plan. I thought prayer at this time was useless. Between the butterflies and the neighbor, I think it was God’s way of reminding me he’s still here to listen to me.
Thank you Jesus for this incredible day.
