Screech, screech. The church bus screeched to a halt at the butterfly habitat. Emily and her friends erupted in cheers as the driver opened the door.
Bianca tumbled out first. She had been drawing on the bus, which always made her dizzy. But she stayed on her feet.
Emily adjusted her prosthetic arm. Then she jumped down the bus steps, jittery with excitement.
As Spencer left the bus, he slipped and fell. Everyone huddled around him. Suddenly, he sprang up and shouted, “All good!” Spencer was quite the comedian.
Josh, Emily’s brother, was the last person off the bus. He went as slowly as possible.
“Hurry up!” Emily shouted. She was excited to see the butterflies.
Josh laughed and walked slower.
The habitat was just like Emily had imagined. Butterflies everywhere!
“No two butterflies look exactly alike,” Mrs. Edwards said. “Find one that looks like you.”
Bianca found one that had little swirls on its wings. “It reminds me of my curly hair,” she said.
Spencer pointed out a butterfly with black lines that looked like his glasses.
Try as she might, Emily couldn’t find a single butterfly that looked like her. She asked her friends for help.
Lisa, the most popular girl, smiled sweetly. “I know why Emily can’t find a butterfly that looks like her,” she said. “There aren’t any one-winged butterflies.”
“Lisa!” Mrs. Edwards said.
“What? It’s true,” Lisa argued.
“Actually, it’s not,” the tour guide said. All eyes turned to her. She led them to a small bush in the habitat. “This is Monica,” the guide said, pointing to a monarch butterfly. “She only has one wing.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Lisa said. “I see two wings. Monica’s just as normal as the rest of us.”
“It may seem that way,” the guide said. She held up a magnifying glass. “Up close, you can see that Monica wears a prosthetic, an artificial wing.”
Emily nodded. “Like my arm.”
“God created everyone differently,” the guide said. “Whether you have one wing or two, He cares about you. And He has a special plan for your life.”
Just then, the butterfly rose in the air. Emily watched Monica fly away. Someday, I’m going to fly like that too, she thought.
“I will praise You, because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)
