"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."
Author Unknown
Joan gave me a butterfly cage along with two miniscule caterpillars on a milkweed plant for my birthday this year! I must tell you that it has been fascinating to watch the changes occurring right before my eyes. I waited 10 long days for that first puny caterpillar to become a big fat gold and black striped guy that consumed large amounts of milkweed. Then, it crawled to the top of the cage and hung upside down in a" J" shape and went catatonic...and so I waited again.
A day or so later, without warning or fanfare, it went into overdrive and came out of her skin and became a chrysalis! I totally missed my caterpillar's transformation into that strange, but beautiful shiny green oblong chrysalis! Maybe she is a modest creature and does not like changing clothes in front of strangers!:)
And now I wait again...for another transformation. It's been 10 days so far. I am beginning to see some faint black veins inside the chrysalis. How long before the full transformation is revealed? Only God is privy to that sacred unveiling, but we can be assured it will happen at the right time. She will struggle and work to come out, but she will make a grand entrance into the world with all the splendor of royalty.
This beautiful and mysterious process of metamorphosis has been used by so many writers, poets, artists and teachers to paint a picture of transformation. As believers, it is not hard to see it as a striking picture of what happens to a person when he/she surrenders his/her life to Christ.
Yet, I think the thing that has stood out most to me is that this process of becoming must embrace "waiting" as a friend. Yes, "without change there would never be a butterfly", and significant change always involves periods of waiting. For it is in the stillness of the waiting places that God is often doing His most significant work of transformation within us. Yes, we participate along with Him in the surrendering and cooperating, and then the Holy Spirit brings about the beautiful changes to us from the inside out.
I am embracing with awe these places of waiting as I watch this slow and beautiful unveiling of my butterfly friend. I am also finding my heart softened and less anxious in the places of waiting and transformation in my own life. I have been reminded that God has a beautiful plan and I have the privilege of cooperating and witnessing the transformation of my own life into His likeness. And so it is with each of us whom God loves.
Here's to the mysterious, transformative waiting places in life!
