Our Visitor

All 3 of us shut down early Wednesday evening, succumbing to a whirlwind week that included my international flight and welcome dinner, 3 parties, and a wedding. For the past two days I had vowed that I would not sit down and rest unless Cecilia did. And she didn't, until Wednesday evening. (That nesting instinct is pretty strong.)

When we all started stirring from our semi-comas (a state of sleep, not a punctuation mark), the two cats were going crazier than usual in the living room. See, one of their favorite evening past times is stalking the few tiny insects that are drawn through the open windows to the lamp light. (I want to mention that I have yet to see a mosquito, and have not been bothered day or night by anything other than a mild heat rash. Is that tmi?) But I digress.

Cautious Jewel was gladly standing guard as wing man (wing kitty?) while alpha cat Q was jumping about 5 feet off the floor onto the curtain. When Cecilia and Will investigated the scene, the furry dynamic duo stared at both the curtain and ceiling with laser intensity. C and W discovered a butterfly clinging to the curtain that Q had attempted to scale.

Can you see the butterfly, with wings folded?

Will reached up and it crawled onto his fingers.

Ten o'clock on a Wednesday night, and a Monarch butterfly made a house call to the 11th floor apartment of Cecilia and Will Bingham!

The butterfly settled on the windowsill.
The lights of Niteroi are reflected in the bay outside.

Now at 38 weeks, Cecilia is 'great with child.' Daniel has hiccupped and stretched himself into position; pre-labor contractions cause C to pause from time to time; Mommy and Daddy have feathered the nest; hospital bags are not by the door, but nearly complete; and the taxi service number is on cell phone speed dial. That sense of anxious awe and anticipation has settled over all of us while we wait. And God sent a persistent little messenger who refused to be shooed out the window. Instead, he climbed onto Will's finger and even floated over to the sign from Daniel's party that says, "WELCOME BABY DANIEL REESE MAIA BINGHAM."

Since he wouldn't leave via the window, and seemed content on Will's hand, Cecilia suggested we take him downstairs to be released. I got a glass jar to cover the critter, who rested and stretched his distinctive rust and black patterned wings calmly. Will carried the bright evangelist downstairs in the elevator, and released him into a bed of neon orange flowers just out front.

I'm reminded by our little visitor that God is in control of everything. He cares enough about this young couple to lift their eyes and their hearts with a creature that weighs less than a whisper. God knitted Daniel together in his mother's womb, as the psalm writer says (Psalm 139), and He is already right in the middle of all our tomorrows--and Daniel's too.