Feeling God's Presence

                                  "And He said, My presence will go with you,
                                   and I will give you rest."  -  Exodus 33:14


Monday morning. I was awaiting a phone call which could have a profound implication on the life of my adult son (who has autism). I could not wait for the phone to ring and get it over with. I was so nervous that even though it was just a phone interview, I thoroughly brushed my teeth and combed my hair, making sure that not a strand was out of place. It seemed to be taking forever for the phone to ring. By chance, I looked out the window. But it's not the flowers and the greenery in my front yard that met my eyes. It was something else. A tiny creature, resting on the exterior side of the window, its wings in wide expanse, so plain and simple - a white butterfly! Time stood still and every bit of my jittery nerves calmed down, my thoughts lost, farthest away from the anticipated call. I stood motionless. It was a moment to relish.

A white butterfly. It's not just an insect for me anymore. Lately, it's been my way of communicating with God, a symbol of reassurance and a calming presence. Just like most people, I worry about our daily lives, the economy, the political fighting in the capital, the direction that our country was going. Something has to change - and it has to start at the leadership in the White House. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I truly believe that there is one person who can and will bring the much needed shake-up in Washington, to reform our system and fight corruption - Sarah Palin. She has the the right combination of executive experience, the brave character and the right vision for America. But for the defenders of the status quo, Sarah Palin is a threat who needed to be vanquished, and try they did, in every conceivable, twisted, unimaginable way. She has the scars and bruises to prove her battles with them, yet she is still standing, prouder and stronger.

Back in April, I posted an article asking God, if it is His will for Governor Palin to be the next president of the United States of America, that He sends her a white butterfly. Privately, I prayed to Him to let me see one as well. I have no way of knowing if a white butterfly had been fluttering around the governor but on my end, every time the media baselessly attacked her, a white winged creature would be flying around me. When  they reported that her supporters are losing their patience waiting for her announcement on whether she'd run for president or not, a white butterfly showed up. And it was there, as I was feeling down when  the voters were quick to crown Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry as frontrunners, without so much as examining their records. Or when the blog Wonkette posted a disgusting article mocking her toddler with Down Syndrome, Trig. Or when a book, "The Rogue", came out with malicious, unfounded stories about her. Every time a lie was told about her, the white butterfly appeared. Every single time.

But that Monday morning, I believed that that white butterfly was meant for me. I walked up and touched it from my side of the window. It did not stir. I closed my eyes and felt a complete sense of peace wash over me. I could almost feel in my fingertips its soft and delicate wings, so light yet warm to my touch. I opened my eyes, and as if by cue, another white butterfly came and landed on the marigolds. It stayed there as if to allow my sight to bask in its simple and sheer beauty. In such a fragile creature, plain and unadorned,  I felt God's wondrous creation. I knew then that everything would be alright.

When the phone rang, I picked it up with a calm spirit. The man on the other end had a kind voice and was most helpful. The result of the interview was positive. My advocacy for my son had been successful.

A prayer and white butterflies. To believe is to see. I did.

Thank you, God.

Of Sarah Palin and White Butterflies

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" - Matthew 7:7

If you see a white butterfly fluttering around Sarah Palin, know that it can only mean one thing: Sarah Louise Heath Palin will be the first female President of the United States of America.

At the height of the Democratic Party primary season in 2008, Hillary Clinton's campaign was taking a beating from the Obama team. I had believed that she would make a better president than the Illinois senator but caucus after caucus, state after state, he was winning. I wanted so much for her to win so I prayed to God to send me a sign - a white butterfly - that in the end she would prevail. She came back for a little bit winning Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia. Still, no white butterfly, not even fake ones. Then on June 6, 2008, she conceded and Barack Obama officially clinched the Democratic Party nomination.

The election will soon be upon us and with the country going in the wrong direction, our citizens more divided than ever, I clearly understand now why the white butterflies did not come. I WAS PRAYING FOR THE WRONG WOMAN! The right woman for the job is an Alaskan who has proven herself to be champion of the unborn, an excellent steward of the rich resources God has bestowed on earth, and whose ethical standard in governance is incorruptible - it's Sarah Palin.

But first, why pray for a sign? My husband once told me that if we truly wanted something, ask God for a sign because only He knows if what our hearts' desires are right for us - and that it is the right time to have them. Time and again, this proved to be true. I had once worried whether I'd be hired permanently for a temp job that I held and asked God to send me a sign: a small child to give me flower for no special reason at all. A toddler gave me dandelion - a lowly weed - but a flower nonetheless! I stayed with that company for 5 years. I had once worried whether I'd be able to come to the U.S. and asked God to send me a sign: I wanted to see blue flowers (where I was born and raised in the Philippines, blue flowers of any variety was something that I had never seen grow at all). A sign He certainly sent my way: a group of school children bearing homemade flowers with petals shaped from wire and covered with stretched out stockings painted bright blue!  Sure enough, my visa was approved and I've since been living here in the States for 20+ years. Ask and it shall be given unto you - at a proper time.

Why white butterfly?  I have asked God for a sign, if Sarah Palin would be elected President, to send me (as well as the governor) a white butterfly because I have never seen a real one in all my life. I have learned only recently, though, that a white butterfly could symbolize many things like purity (white color), freedom (wings), a rebirth and a new beginning. In some cultures, it could also mean death (I'd take that, too, if it means an end to the Left's demagoguery and an end to the mainstream media's abject abandonment of their duties). Or, if you live in Australia, it means you're not going to have cabbage for dinner because white butterflies feed and lay their eggs on cabbages. But symbolism or not, white butterflies would deliver a pure and clear message from heaven.

Why Sarah Palin?  One word: Integrity . That is when actions match a person's words. That's what her life, in public office and in private, has been about. That's what sets her apart from the current field of politicians in our country. Sarah Palin often speaks of protecting the unborn as a tenet of her Christian faith. Her son, born with Down syndrome, is testament that those are not empty words. She talks about taking care of the elderly and the disabled. That she did when she signed the  Senior Benefits Program that provides assistance to Alaskan seniors and by increasing funding for special needs students by 175%.  When she calls union members "brothers and sisters", believe it that she cares about their welfare as she added $216 million to the teachers-retirement system. When she promised ethics reform, she did not have any qualms on taking on even those from her own party. Many politicians talk about fiscal responsibility, balancing the budget, limited government, creating jobs, protecting the environment and making tough choices. As city council member, mayor and governor, she walked the walk and left a trail of record to prove it. She can keep her head up high with sincere pride. It is now time to take it on national stage. 

Let us elect a leader with a servant's heart who will lead this nation back to our founding principles and values. We may never know if God is on our side but we must always strive to be on His. Open the book of Gov. Palin's public service record. I believe He will approve. We may come from different backgrounds and different cultures but we are all Americans; One nation under God. Let us not squander the grace our Creator has shed on our country.

So would you join me in prayer, in Jesus' name, today until the election, for a white butterfly to be sent Sarah Palin's way?

Updated May 7, 2012: Who is the Real Sarah Palin? The record of the real Sarah Palin.