Belinda the Beautiful Butterfly.

Belinda smiled happily as the wind whispered through the branches giving her a gentle ride. She looked up beyond the fluttering leaves into the sunny sky and chuckled.
'The Angels must be playing "Catch me" she said 'Just look at the lovely patterns their wings are making as they brush the clouds.' The Lizard opened a sleepy eye, and yawned 'Very pretty' he agreed 'Very pretty' then promptly closed his eye and dozed again.
Belinda continued to gaze at the changing patterns as the clouds were swept into wispy swirls and trailing tendrils, then, with a delighted laugh, she flew up into the warm sunshine.
The sound of her friend singing in a nearby tree made her fly across to join him. 'Hello' she called to the Song Thrush 'You do sing beautifully'.
'Do you think so?' He smiled at Belinda.
'Oh, yes, I wish I could sing like you ~ do you think you could teach me?' The Song Thrush chuckled. 'Yesterday you wanted to leap like the Frogs, Belinda, and now you want to sing!' He shook his wings with merriment. 'Be content with what you have' he said. 'Heavenly Father hasn't given you a singing voice, but look at the colours of your beautiful wings, I don't think anyone is as pretty as you'.
Belinda blushed. 'A lovely voice; and beautiful wings; and long legs to leap; it's a happy, happy world isn't it?' she said, then with a big smile on her face, she floated gently down towards the stream.
'Hello! Are you there, little Frog?' Belinda asked as she came to rest on a bright yellow flower by the stream's edge.
'Boo!' croaked a deep voice right beside her. 'Ooh!' she squealed. 'You did give me a fright.' The Frog laughed. 'I know, I wanted to' and he laughed again. 'What are you doing here?' he asked.
'Nothing, really' Belinda answered 'Just enjoying the sunshine for a while, then I thought I would go to Jerusalem.'
'That's a long way for a little Butterfly' observed the Frog.
'Ah, yes, but I visit all my friends on the way, so it's a very happy journey' she explained.
'That's because you are such a happy person'. The voice came from a Bee who had alighted on the yellow flower, and was now busily gathering its pollen. 'I heard you telling the Song Thrush that it was a happy, happy world.'
Belinda looked at the Bee; then at the sunshine dancing on the rippling stream; at the wide smile of the Frog; and the glorious gossamer wings of a Dragonfly; then sighed happily.
'It is a happy world' she said, 'If you really look.'
'And a busy one' agreed the Bee as she smoothed her glowing furry coat.
'Must be off now' she called as she rose into the air showering pollen over Belinda. 'See you later' and she was gone. Belinda sneezed. 'And I must be off too' she said as she shook her wings free of the pollen.
'I'll come to see you when I get back' she promised.
'Bring me some interesting news' the little Frog pleaded. 'I get rather bored at times.'
'Dear me' Belinda giggled. 'If I had your long legs I'd never be bored, I'd have such fun.'
And the little Frog smiled as he watched her soar gracefully into the warm air.
Belinda met many of her friends, and it was four days later that she arrived at Jerusalem. It was very hot.
'I think I'll go to the Pool of Bethesda' she thought. 'It will be cool in the porch.'
She flew swiftly to the Pool and found a small ledge at the top of one of the five pillars on which she rested. It WAS cool, and she took a deep breath of pleasure. Then she looked, and saw many sick people lying around the Pool and remembered how they waited there for an Angel to ruffle the water. The first person then in the Pool would be healed. 'Ah, yes' she sighed. 'There is sadness in the world as well as happiness.'
Then she brightened up. 'But I can cheer them' she decided. 'I'll do my very best flying for them, and show my pretty wings, that will make them happy.' And down she flew.
It was a lovely time. Belinda enjoyed seeing their smiles as she danced around them, even a blind man held out his hand to her when someone told him that she was there.
It was when she was amusing a rather sad lame man that she saw Jesus! Oh! what excitement. 'Do you see who it is? Do you see who it is?' she asked dancing excitedly before the lame man, but the only thing the man saw was a Butterfly almost causing a whirlwind by her swishing, beating wings, and he actually laughed. The first time for many years.
Belinda flew off to greet Jesus and was just about to say 'Hello!' when she noticed the sadness in His eyes as He looked at those around the Pool.
'What a loving heart Jesus has' were her thoughts as she hovered near Him. ' How much He cares.'
Jesus looked up.
'Hello, Belinda' He said. 'Have you been cheering these dear people?'
'I've tried, Lord' she answered, her little heart beating fast with delight.
'I'm sure they have enjoyed watching you, especially Simon who has been iII for so many years.' Jesus said, then he walked towards the lame man, Belinda resting on his shoulder.
'I actually heard Simon laughing as I came in, so you have done well' Jesus praised her.
Belinda didn't know what to say, she couldn't wait to get back to the Frog to tell him her wonderful story.
BUT that wasn't the end of her exciting day. Jesus stopped by Simon and asked 'Would you like to get well?'
Simon looked sorrowfully at Jesus and said 'I can't, for I have no-one to help me into the Pool when the Angel touches the water. Whilst I am trying to get there, someone else always gets ahead of me.'
Belinda tried to say to Simon 'Ask Jesus to heal you. Don't wait for an Angel, ask Jesus!' But Simon didn't need to ask, for Jesus knew the longing of his heart.
'Stand up, Simon' Jesus said, 'And roll up your sleeping mat and go home.'
Simon could scarcely believe what he heard. "Get up" when he hadn't walked for 38 years?!!
He looked up at Jesus, and as their eyes met something happened in Simon's heart - HE BELIEVED IN JESUS and his heart filled with love. He knew then that he could walk, so he immediately began to get to his feet. One of Jesus' disciples gave him a helping hand as the love and power of Jesus seemed to flow over him. He stood, and felt the strength in his once paralysed legs - THEN HE WALKED!
Belinda was delighted. What a happy day this had been. And as she flew home she thought of the love of Jesus and how much He cared for everyone.
'And if we love and care for others as much as Jesus does' she said to herself, 'What a happy, happy place this world will be.'
Elizabeth Aynsley ©
John Ch. 5 vs. 1 - 9.