Many people are familiar with Greg Olsen’s painting Precious is His Sight, which depicts Christ showing a young child a butterfly on His outstretched finger. But not as many know the beautiful meaning behind the recurring symbol throughout Greg’s art.
Since Greg’s mom passed away around 20 years ago, butterflies have taken on a deep personal significance.
“Before she died, we asked her, ‘Mom, when you get over there to the other side, somehow you’ve got to let us know that you’re still thinking about us,’” Greg recalls. “And she said, ‘Okay, how about whenever you see a butterfly, you think of me.’”
After she died, when the family visited the cemetery to see her new headstone for the first time, they noticed another visitor at the gravesite—a butterfly.
“We all got goosebumps,” Greg says. “But then it flew over and landed on my dad’s arm and sat there for about a minute. And then we were all bawling.
“So butterflies are kind of a sentimental thing for me, just a reminder that we’ve always got loved ones on the other side, watching out for us, keeping an eye on us.”
Greg also feels that butterflies can represent our divine potential as children of God. In a recent interview, he shared:
“I’ve always thought, I wonder if a caterpillar knows what it’s going to turn into someday, kind of like us. Do we have any idea what our divine genetics have in store for us?”
Watch the video below to hear in Greg’s own words why butterflies can remind us of angels loving and supporting us from the other side:
Find the full range of Greg Olsen's art, all customizable to your home, at gregolsen.com.
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