God has done it again! I renewed my prayer late last summer, for him to send a monarch butterfly to my garden—my favorite for its beautiful orange color, and one that I missed while we lived in England. One day soon after I’d prayed, as I sat on our porch in the Carolinas reading, movement caught my eye. There it was, the monarch butterfly I’d longed for sitting on my tall tithonia, fanning its wings—sent by The Monarch over all, Jesus. I gasped in awe, then crept as close as I dared. I carefully turned to go inside for my camera. Would it wait? Inside, I hurriedly fumbled for my camera.

Back outside, I discovered that the monarch had waited patiently, perched on my tithonia, enjoying its nectar. I watched for a long time, taking lots of pictures of orange on orange, enjoying its magnificence and feeling affirmed. But finally, I got too close; it flew high in the sky, above the second story, above the chimneys and moved on to its next assignment.

Just one. One monarch butterfly sent by God as a reminder that he hears and sees me. He hears and sees you too.