It’s Just A Moth
It’s also just a tangible, physical sign of a little girl’s answered prayers.
A few weeks ago, our 6-year-old daughter Hailey was playing in the yard. All of a sudden, her three brothers came running inside to show me what they had just found. I come outside, and sitting on Hailey’s hand is one of the largest moths ever found in our area.
She was so excited to have found this, yet also very worried. One of this moth’s wings was broken, and she didn’t think it would survive.
Our daughter, the ever sweet, ever loving and compassionate girl, decided to turn our front tree into the “God tree.” She decorated the entire tree with beautiful painted rocks, scripture, flowers, and a handmade cross created from twigs. She enlisted the help of a few neighborhood kids.
Rally The Troops
When I looked out my front door, I saw Hailey, her siblings, and a handful of neighbors sitting around the tree in a circle, holding hands. They were praying for this little moth! It was heartwarming and adorable.
Hailey placed her moth on the ground by the tree, and it was still there when we all went to bed that night. I knew I needed to get rid of this moth by the next day, otherwise our little girl would see the moth had died, and her prayers weren’t answered how she wanted them to be. Unfortunately, however, caring for a wounded moth is not high on my priority list, and I completely forgot in the midst of a busy family life.
The next morning, I sat down at the table to do my normal Bible reading. It was all about not intervening with God’s will, and not rushing things. Which, in my own human nature, ironically reminded me I needed to go and dispose of the likely dead, giant moth outside. As I was getting ready to do so, Hailey came running downstairs and straight out the front door to eagerly see if her prayers were answered.
Imagine my sheer and absolute surprise and disbelief when I saw what all the yelling was about.
Not only was Hailey’s injured moth alive and well, there was a second identical moth next to it. They were both resting on the cross made of twigs under our God tree. They eventually ended up mating, and laying eggs under the tree. Both moths were healthy, alive, and flew off within the next day. We were left with eggs and the promise of new life.
Are You Serious?
This was such a physical, tangible way for our kids to see a prayer not only answered, but given even more than what we had asked for. I was able to share scripture during this crazy God moment.
“God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
If only all prayers were answered like this.
It led me to wonder why…
Has a difficult diagnosis from one of our children not been lifted? That unsaved family member is still unsaved after years and years of praying? A good friend is struggling with an unimaginable loss of her husband? Why are so many other prayers left seemingly unanswered?
We will never know the answer to that. It clearly isn’t through “works,” or “doing the right thing,” or “being a good Christian.” We don’t know the reason, and we may never know, but we do know one thing. God is good, even if He doesn’t respond to the prayer you’ve been praying in the way you wanted him to.
God never promised us we would be exempt from hard times. He did promise us, however, that He would be with us. Him showing up in a very obvious way in this cute and silly moth story shows just that.
He Is Here
He is present. Not only that, but He is with us through every chapter of life.
The creator of the universe doesn’t have to send us little reminders that He is here, yet he does. Don’t let that point be missed. He is kind, and he will show himself to those who ask. It doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed an overnight prayer being answered, but he does promise that he will always be present. Sometimes, all we have to do is look.
We will never have all the answers to our questions. I do know, however, that a little girl’s faith was strengthened that day. The neighbors present outside saw God’s hand physically working through something as small as a moth. Those kids ran home to tell their families, and faith on our street grew that day. We have a story to share with family and unbelievers. Our kids have a “God moment” that will stick with them forever.
Isn’t that the greatest answered prayer of all?
