I got the idea of keeping the culprit, after finding him, and put him in a glass cupcake holder.
A caterpillar in a glasshouse.
Then proceeded to feed him fresh
petals of his favorite color several times a day with the mindset that:
a missing petal is not as obvious
as a 'Swiss cheese' looking one!
All was going well for our new family pet, until one day he started getting sluggish. Not being an expert on caterpillars I was concerned about him. After a couple of days I was certain he was at the end, when low and behold the next morning a little brown cocoon is laying right next to his dry, shriveled up, shed skin.
What a transformation - what a change from one stage to another.
Does the caterpillar know it will be forced into a cocoon?
I mean, just because it's 'natures' way, doesn't mean the caterpillar knows about it....
Did it fight against this change that seemed to strip it of its identity to the point of the outer skin being peeled off,
Was that painful?
Being wrapped tightly into a tiny hard shell.
Engulfed in darkness.
Did it feel safe or rather like it was going to suffocate - die?
Was it born with the knowledge that each stage is only for a time, that it would change - twice?
Did it know that at the end, there would be wings?
The human caterpillar
So many stages - infant, toddler, child, teenager, young adult, dependent, independent, living at home, moving out, etc.
Throughout our whole life, different stages, different lengths of time - changes.
Then there are the stages within the stages...
With each change from one stage to the next we have the opportunity to grow/mature in our character, and in Christ.
How do you feel about change?
Change is challenging. If you are like most, instant resistance will arise against any kind of change.
Why?
Change takes us away from the familiar, from what we have 'conquered', where we feel safe/ at home/in control.
It moves us out into the unknown - outside of our comfort zone.
Change often brings hardship, pain, loneliness, the pressure to let go of something we feel is part of us.......
- like the caterpillar shedding his skin to become soft in effort to fit into the cocoon, the next stage.
Often we look for the quickest escape out of discomfort and pray accordingly - let it end now, heal me now, rescue me now - surely this can't be from you God, you love me, this doesn't feel like love...
The caterpillar is unable to resist the change - we, on the other hand, were given this powerful and amazing gift called; free will - and by using that we can, and often do, avoid anything unpleasant on our path.
We can choose to not be squeezed into a tight little space,
choose to stay on our belly,
choose to live on flower petals for the rest of our lives!
Maybe we made it into the cocoon. It was tight and uncomfortable at first, but then after a while it felt so snug, safe, just room for us.......... we can choose to never leave it - it's true, we can.
Sad, but true!
Pain, sadness, darkness, loneliness, desert, emptiness, loss, frustration .........
We can, at any point during the change process, choose to give in, give up, sit down and fold together our arms saying; it's too much, it's no fun, too hard, too painful.
I think during times like that, we forget who we belong to and who is at work within us
- we become overwhelmed and shortsighted.
James 1:2-4 " Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature...."
Maturity doesn't happen through knowing what is right/what you should do, or saying the right things....... that's the easy part. Most of us know and can say the right things
- but God isn't in to lip service.
( lip service; verbal expression of agreement or allegiance, unsupported by real conviction or action.)
Maturity happens at the point, where it would be easier to bail ship, give up, give in, sit down and curl up in resignation, convincing myself it is just too hard to press on, safer to stay in the cocoon -
but instead I choose to persevere.
Maturity follows when we choose to do and act accordingly to what we know/say is right, even when it doesn't 'feel' good. It comes with the change we choose to go through.
Maturity is not free! It comes with a price.
The price changes, not due to inflation, but by what the result could be - what precious stone is in the making.
Maturity happens behind closed doors - out of sight. Not on the platform under the spotlight with applause cheering you on. It happens in the private of your heart, when no one is watching and you choose to use your will to pursue what you know is true, instead of what you feel.
There are many thoughts as to why we were created - and many different answers I have no argument with. But one I will argue against is the thought that it was to live happily ever after, as smooth and nice as possible. What nonsense!
We were not created to be living Hallmark cards.
Neither is this journey about achievements - if that becomes our priority, we are missing out on life itself. Achievements aren't bad, but reaching them is not where life is.
Life is found in Jesus! "I am the life..."
You can walk this journey without Jesus - or hold him at arms length - I walked that road for many years and had so much, but not life itself.
This journey is not in what we have, job/home/family/spouse/child - these are all wonderful and should bring much joy - but life is found only in Jesus.
" I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10
In him, the journey goes from being a soundtrack to being at the concert - it becomes real, with dimensions a recording, no matter how good, could never achieve.
You aren't listening to is on the side - you step inside and become part of it.
Life happens - abundantly!
I walk this raw unedited journey of pain, joy, suffering, laughter and tears, falls and new beginnings, scrapes and bruises, of loss and gain, of reaching of amazing pinnacles as well as dark lonely valleys.
I walk it - not knowing what tomorrow brings anymore than you do - but in full assurance that Jesus is with me every step of the way, cheering me on through the shifting tides and changing seasons.
Each change matured the caterpillar, and each change brought it closer to become free to be what it was created to be; a winged being!
The changes we persevere through bring maturity. Maturity brings us freedom.
Freedom to become who we were created to be in Christ.
-b
