Butterfly Garden Dedication and Blessing Prayer

We gather here today, to reflect on the brevity of life, to celebrate the gift of life, and to contemplate the hope in life eternal symbolized by these wonderful creatures of nature. Butterflies, so small, yet they mean so much. God transforms them into something beautiful, as He desires to accomplish in each of us. May our spirits be as free, as light and joyful, as these wonders of nature, who seek out the light, who pursue the sweet smelling goodness in life, and are open to the wonder of being what they were born, and born again to be: simple expressions of the richness of life. May we be mindful and grateful for what has been, and look forward with joyful hope and anticipation for what will be: something wonderful, and something marvelous.
May we live as do these butterflies, putting away the cares of this world and becoming fully alive, as we remember those whom we honor here today, those whose lives we celebrate, and by whose living we move forward with the energy their living has added to our own. Amen

Dear Lord, I pray now for this sacred place: As we traverse these bricks immortalized by these, whose inscriptions they bear, may this garden be a place of peace, and calm, and comfort. May it be, for each patient, family member, medical practitioner, volunteer, and any visitor who draws near, a place to feel your love and the love of those who have gone before. Bless this garden, and each of those who pass through it. May we take the time to smell the flowers, may we be drawn to the nectar of your presence, and may each of us here present this day, strive to be free like the butterfly, to carry your peace and love to those in need, especially to those whose days are numbered. Richly bless those who have given so freely of their time, money, and energy to make this dream a living reality. In your name, we pray, Amen