Wings were popular this Halloween. Trim ladybugs with red wings danced around portly bees. Light glimmered off the blue and yellow striped wings of butterflies as they flitted from door to door looking for sweets. Transformers with metal wings and space men with rocket packs zoomed among the insects looking for their share of the loot. Occasionally there was the traditional bat with black leathery wings.

But most of the wings belonged to fairies. It was as if a fairy convocation had been called and they arrived in all sizes and shapes. Their gossamer gowns rippled and swayed with the shifting breeze. In ruby shoes and black slippers they danced on the walks and held out their pails for tribute. Some carried wands and others wore jewelry, but they all had wings. From the folds of soft fabric the wings sprouted and burst forth in shimmering white or sparkled in a painter’s pallet of pastel color.

Legends of magical flying creatures have populated tales for centuries, perhaps inspired by the realm of colorful flying insects. If frayed or torn, butterfly wings cannot be repaired. They are composed of thousands of overlapping colorful scales. When light reflects off them, they become iridescent. Some wings contain ultraviolet markings that are hidden from our view. But the butterfly’s eyes contain thousands of facets that allow them to see ultraviolet colors.

God is an artist who gives attention to the smallest detail, even those we cannot see or understand. The complexity of these creatures creates wonder and fascination. We begin to imagine pale and cloudy reflections, which emerge as clumsy tributes to His masterpiece. These delicate wings pass from the real to the imaginary and enter a story. Our fantasy tale begins.

http://www.thebutterflysite.com/facts.shtml