Beauty in Unexpected Places

I was sitting on my front porch the other morning, enjoying a quiet moment, when a big, beautiful butterfly started flitting around the flowers in front of the house, gently landing and sipping nectar. There’s just something about butterflies—they’re so delicate and peaceful, and I never get tired of watching them.

But seeing that butterfly brought back a memory that always used to confuse me. Many years ago, when our daughter was younger, we had a couple of horses and spent a lot of time trail riding. If you’ve ever ridden horses, you know about what we lovingly call “road apples.” It’s a nice way of saying poop. Horses don’t exactly stop and step aside. They just keep walking and leave little “gifts” along the trail.

And here’s the part that always caught my attention. We would be riding along and spot butterflies gathered—not on flowers—but on those road apples. Clusters of them. Beautiful butterflies, in a place that didn’t seem to match their beauty at all.

At the time, it didn’t make much sense to me. Why would something so beautiful be drawn to something so….not?

But over time, I learned that butterflies are actually gathering nutrients they can’t get from flowers alone. What looks unpleasant to us is actually providing something they need to live and thrive.

And that got me thinking. How often do we walk through seasons that don’t look beautiful? Moments that feel messy, uncomfortable, or even a little “broken.”

Times we wouldn’t have chosen. Yet somehow God is still at work there.

Sometimes, the very places we would avoid are the places where we grow the most. Where we gain strength, wisdom, compassion, and a deeper dependence on Him. Where He provides what we need in ways we didn’t expect.

Just like those butterflies, we may find ourselves in situations that don’t look appealing on the outside, but God can use even those moments to nourish us. Nothing is wasted in His hands.

Even the hard, messy, or confusing parts of life can become places where He meets us, grows us, and gently shapes us into something even more beautiful.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…” Romans 8:28

April 19, 2026 Morning Brew

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