Butterflies

For the last, five to six weeks my family and I have been raising “Painted Lady Butterflies”, when my wife brought them home, the small caterpillars were in plastic cups with a large disk of brownish yellow “food” at the bottom of the cup. We set the cups on top of the cabinets and let nature take its course.
Now, I know that this seems like a very odd subject and where and how does it pertain to you and me, and to GOD.

As I watched these little worms each day they would be bigger and bigger just like the directions said, as it is with us, we come into this world little and as we are nourished by the food that is given us, and we grow and grow. Within a week to two, they were huge and were now heading off to the top of the cup, to make their new home. In the humans life we also grow until we are no longer able to stay at the bottom of our world, so we too are off, to build our own home. We leave home and build a life and a home and as it is designed, we too are off to the top.

Now hanging upside-down and the new home tightly woven around them, something amazing begins to take place, this something happens from the inside out, unlike the first part of life. In the butterfly kit there is a “Butterfly Pavilion” just a fancy name for a mesh cage, once put in there, we watched the activity and within another couple of weeks, one by one each new creature began to emerge. In the beginning, they were just worms, small and at the bottom of the cup to larger worms on top, now through the struggle of life to become beautiful and graceful butterflies.

So, in there lies our very essence, oh how dead in our transgression, but worms. We have been born some into good and loving homes while others into abusive homes, but our inward condition just the same. While some are abused, shamed, threatened, beaten, battered and bruised, yet other are lavished in love, the finer things, wonderful treasures, the loving touch of a parent and beautiful heartfelt words, but alas or inward condition is still the same.


Born into the iniquity of one mans sin, and blinded by the world to our inward condition, we set off on our journey of life. We most certainly are fallen and our nature is ever so corrupt. How else could it be, and what else could explain. Life with these butterflies has opened the eye of my heart to really see the plan of GOD for our lives.

Throughout the Bible Scripture tells us of our corrupt nature our inward condition so vile that our GOD the creator of life and the Universe cannot be in our presence. For He is Perfect and dwells in Perfection, and in him there is no sin and no sin can be in his presence. Oh, there in lies the tragedy of our lives and condition, created by Yahweh and not able to be in his presence.

As we begin to understand our relation to this creature, we can see that we in our natural state, our fallen and depraved nature that we too are like the worm. We can hardly consider any other pursuit except that which satisfies our fleshly desire. We claw our way in life from one experience to the next looking and searching for the nourishment that one can only find in Christ.

When thankfully, the day arrives and we begin our walk with Christ, we too put on a new clothing like the caterpillar, we must be tightly woven in the Word and the Flesh and the Blood of Christ. Our relationship with Jesus must now take center stage in our lives and He must be our nourishment. During this time our struggles will be intense, they will in the same stroke be filled with pain and joy, with love and hate, with pride and selflessness, with contempt and compassion, with fear and courage, with peace and rage.

We will struggle against the world and the flesh and he who preservers will be called on that day of judgment to be rewarded. When we look at the outcome from the cocoon of the butterflies, we can see such a wonderful creation, as we too will someday be. We must understand though that it is the struggle that strengthens us for the remainder of our journey.

These butterflies only live two to four weeks and in that time can travel up to one thousand miles, think about it.

Our life is but a vapor, a wisp of smoke to our Lord and our Creator, just as the butterflies life is to us. If not for the struggle of the cocoon, the butterfly could never fulfill its created purpose. Moreover, without our times of trials and temptations we too would never be able to fulfill our God designed purpose.



Father my what a wonderful creation You have made, Lord when I have look intensely into Your creation of this little butterfly, I can se all that You desire for us to be. It is by no mistake that a caterpillar must struggle in tightly woven cocoon and it is no mistake that we too must struggle in the same way, through out daily trials. Oh Lord Your word says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and in that I have no doubt, Lord I desire to give You my all, even though I know that it could never be enough for what You have given me. Father I pray that You would guide me and use me for Your perfect purpose, leave no resistance to Your perfect Will in my heart and use these words to change lives, Father I praise You and thank You in the Name of Jesus, Amen!


Originally written 12/05 Forgiving Grace Ministries