Three years ago I wrote about the well-publicized "butterfly people" that some children in Joplin, Mo., said they'd seen--mysterious angelic figures assisting terrified people as an EF-5 tornado laid waste to so much of that community in May of 2011.
The reported floating butterfly people (described in a St. Louis newspaper as small, somewhat humanlike, with wings) supposedly protected many people in that city of 50,000 less than two hours north of the Arkansas border. Today, a mural by artist Dave Loewenstein, called Butterfly Effect: Dreams Take Flight, graces a downtown section of Joplin.
I remembered that column after happening across a web story from Science and Spirit Magazine about angels and the various subtle signs they supposedly send throughout our lifetimes.
The provocative story says one type of purported message can come in the form of unexpected butterflies "frequently sent to us by our lost loved ones, either to remind us they're always watching over us and nearby, or just to let us know they're OK."
That led me to recall a Fayetteville mother years ago at her son's funeral who watched a remarkable butterfly follow her from outside deep into the church and flutter around her head before fluttering through an open door into the courtyard columbarium where her son's cremated remains would be kept.
Those who regularly read this space realize I've never been reluctant to discuss the intuitive aspects of life beyond our limited understanding and physical senses. It's equally fine with me if you believe only what your five senses tell you about existence. I simply prefer to believe spiritual messages and signs of differing dimensional forms are constantly swirling around us. I've also written of these "God Winks" or "God Nods."
Here, along with butterflies, are other subtle whispers of supposed angelic presence, as described in the magazine's story. Experienced any of these yourself?
White feathers we happen across are left as calling cards and reminders that we are being watched over and cared for if needed.
Random pennies are believed to be the source behind the familiar phrase "pennies from heaven." They are left to console and reassure those in need and turn frowns into smiles. Don't know about you, but I'm always finding random pennies in unexpected places.
Robins that often return to the same places each spring are supposed angelic reassurances that deceased loved ones are still nearby.
Rainbows can be a sign of angelic presence, the story says, if you happen to be thinking of angels when you spy one. It's even more significant when there has been no rainfall.
Distinctive scents also can be a message since the deceased will remind us of them by inexplicably surrounding us with a scent unique to them in life. Also, angels typically will leave trails of floral fragrance in areas they have visited.
Angels often visit in dreams and periods when we are detached from the worries and demands of conscious existence. The angel-inspired dreams typically are more vivid than others, the story says.
Sparkles of colored light appearing unexpectedly also can be a message, particularly among those in need.
Inexplicable touches in the form of soft brushes against your body that you can definitely feel can be a sign that an angel is beside you.
A disembodied, yet unmistakably distinct voice is an obvious indication of angelic presence designed to reassure a person that he is being watched over.
Music and television messages that reassure or confirm something involving one's life are never coincidental. Those supposedly are an angel trying to confirm or ease something in a person's life. This also means that when flipping through channels and happening across a program that helps resolve one's concerns or issues, it's likely an angelic message.
Books and written stories can offer meaningful phrases and segments that grab one's attention when the eyes come to focus on certain words and passages. One should read what they say because it can be amazing how often they can relate to a current situation. You can rest assured those circumstances represent an angelic message, the story says.
Unexpected telephone calls from someone who can offer support at the moment one most needs it also can be signs. "You can be sure an angel's intervened somewhere along the way, either making them think of you at just the right time or giving them the clarity and wisdom to offer you the advice you need," the story says.
Buildings and advertising slogans can send signs. "Angels will also send their messages to you in a number of different ways, so make sure you look out for any recurring slogans on billboards, shop names or roads that seem to strike a chord with you."
Finally, the story described angel shapes and forms we detect through our senses in this physical world. "Never underestimate how clever angels can be; they are all around us and can physically appear--in the form of an outline or shape--in almost anything."
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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at [email protected].
Editorial on 02/01/2015