A bit of a mess was made on our back porch when some soil stained water seeped out of our potted plants on to the ground. The water dried, and it left a brown water stain on the tiles. Before washing it away, Daniel and I noticed a blue butterfly land on the stain and hover over it for a while before flying away. Moments later, we saw the butterfly return only to fly away once again. The butterfly continued this pattern of landing, hovering, and then flying away. I silently wondered—of all the beautiful places this creature could fly, why had it chosen that one? Why did it continue choosing it time and time again?

What does it really mean to be “made new” in Christ? Does it mean we will never again find ourselves returning to the same mistakes, same stains, same sin? Finding myself in old patterns time and time again, I’ve made it a point to ask myself these very questions. Because of Jesus, we have the gift of grace, but grace doesn’t erase accountability. We can’t use grace as an excuse to keep landing on or even hovering over the same dirt. Grace shouldn’t tempt us to see what sin we can get away with; it should inspire in us a longing to fly above it.

We can’t deny that sinning less is a consequence of following Jesus, but that’s not what it means to be made new. I learned something from seeing that beautiful butterfly returning to the ugly stain; though she kept returning, she was persistently choosing to fly away from it. Furthermore, she wasn’t once again a caterpillar or any less of a butterfly just because she wandered back to the ground. It’s not about how often we find ourselves back on the ground but rather how strong our desire is to fly away from it. Being made new isn’t about less sin; it’s about a desire to be obedient. That is, it’s not an achievement but a heart posture. It’s about love for God made evident by persistent effort to please Him. It’s about a desire to return love back to God for His grace. Being made new means remembering you are no longer the earth bound caterpillar but a sky oriented creature that by the grace of God has the ability to fly.

Daniel and I kept watching to see if the butterfly would return. And though many times she did, there came a point when she returned no more. Though we both longed to see her again, we knew the butterfly had remembered she was a new creature; we knew the beautiful blue butterfly had chosen to fly.

“Made New” is inspired by the beautiful butterfly that decided to visit us that day. This little 6×6 inch acrylic painting will be a visual reminder that even when I find myself back on the ground, I really am a new creature because I continue calling on God to help me fly. We decided to keep this one, but it will be made to order in my Etsy Shoppe with your choice of metallic coloring.

The frame shown in the photo was custom made, not included but shown for inspiration.

kamillestreasures.etsy.com

I asked the Lord a concerning question—

Am I really made new?

Then He sent me a loving answer;

He sent me something blue.

.

A blue butterfly, beautiful yet fragile

the Lord did certainly bring—

to share His message with me and you,

a certainly precious thing.

.

Though she’d return many a time

to meet the brown stained floor,

she held a desire within her heart

to rise from it once more.

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I try, and I fail

but continually I seek His face.

I remember I have the ability to fly

because of His loving grace.