I wish I was a butterfly

Have you ever thought about how a butterfly could 

ever have been a caterpillar?

There is nothing that would ever indicate that inside that little ugly creature dwelt

the heart of a butterfly. But caterpillars were not meant to be that way forever.

God had something else in mind for the creation.

When my boys were small, they were fascinated with anything that crept and

crawled around on the ground and elsewhere. They would stoop down on the

ground and watch the caterpillar with its many legs creeping awkwardly along.

If that was all there was to life for the poor caterpillar, then it would be a very

depressing way of life indeed. 

Have you ever imagined what the caterpillar thinks as he crawls along? Does

he ever long to be what he was fully meant to be? Does he ever get impatient

with God saying, "Would you hurry up and make me into a butterfly?" 

The caterpillar has to endure the dust and dirt carrying his heavy little body

around the earth feasting on leaves and grass. He could say to God, "Why am

I eating grass and leaves when I should be sipping nectar from the flowers? 

When the time is right, God takes him to a place where he begins spinning

a cocoon and by all appearances he is totally lifeless inside. Totally Dead!!!

That is what man sees, but not what God sees. He looks at things from a

different perspective. The heavy awkward body and many legs have to go!

The skin has to change. Wings need to develop. A new creature is forming

from the old. The caterpillar is becoming a butterfly. 

Then one day, the shell cracks open and a wet, slimy creature comes forth

all on their own in God'd time. No one can help the butterfly to gain the strength

that he needs. He has to do it on his own. Oh, others can encourage him, but

he has to make the ultimate decisions for himself.   

Soon he emerges and flaps his wings rapidly. The colors become sharper and

the beauty of God's creation appears and he confidently flits and flies around from

flower to flower across meadows and into the blue sky. The gentle winds

blow and he catches the wind. The sun warms him as he happily goes on his way.

Behind in the shell lies the cumbersome, awkward body and legs...all of the things that

weighed him down to the earth. The baggage is all gone. He doesn't dwell in the dust and 

dirt of the ground anymore. He was made for better things than being on the ground.

So are we. We are not created to carry the baggage of earth (jealousy, anger, hurts,

unforgiveness, etc.) We were made to be free to fly with joy, peace, and happiness without

a care in the world...to live in forgiveness and rest! 

I know whereof I speak. It was not that long ago that I was a caterpillar, but God

has done a miraculous transformation in my life and He'll do the same for you if

you ask Him to. It doesn't matter what it is that keeps you on the ground. God is

bigger than any problem, relationship or trouble that you have. He wants you to

fly up into the beautiful blue sky where He dwells. Allow Him to transform you into

the beautiful butterfly that He intended you to be. 

Thanks for reading.

Donna