she became a butterfly

Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she became a butterfly.  I saw this and shared it on Facebook today.  It spoke to the deep places in my heart and got me thinking about caterpillars, and metamorphosis, and butterflies, and myself.  In so many ways, and on so many levels, this is an analogy for my life, and probably for yours too.

The caterpillar is just going about her business, eating leaves and avoiding birds.  Maybe she knows and maybe she doesn't know about the big changes that await her.  Meanwhile, she is growing bigger and preparing for the next stage of life.  She is probably content and comfortable being a caterpillar, but at some point, something in her knows that the time has come, and she builds a cocoon to protect herself during a very vulnerable time in her life.

It is somewhat mysterious what exactly happens during the process of metamorphosis.  We can't see inside the chrysalis and watch the changes happening.  There are a lot of biological, biochemical, and morphological miracles going on and it seems to me that it is probably painful, or at least uncomfortable.  One organism goes in, and another comes out.  But it is not an overnight process; it takes time and patience.

The wait is worth it!  When the metamorphosis is complete, a beautiful butterfly slowly emerges.  Her emergence is yet another struggle that builds strength in her wings.  She appears to be delicate and fragile, but she is stronger than you think.  Soon, she is soaring above the earth.  Caught by the breeze, she flies freely through the air, maybe glancing back at the cocoon that once protected her and knowing that she can never return to it.  She is no longer confined to the ground, and the challenges it held for her seem small from her new perspective.

Her new-found beauty and strength and purpose is not appreciated by all.  The birds still see her as food.  Little boys and entomologists see her as a specimen to be collected.  But some, like me, will stop and watch her with longing.  Longing to be changed into something beautiful, longing to soar above the struggles of life, longing for purpose.  I believe that God can work this kind of change inside me, and you, if we are willing.  Someday, I hope I can say of myself, "She became a butterfly!"