Metamorphous by Donna Varnes
At church recently, our pastor quoted Rick Joiner who said the church was going through a metamorphous--changing from our caterpillar stage. Pastor said we have been crawling along like caterpillars for too long. Well of course my mind took off on that analogy. I began to think about the 3 stages a caterpillar goes through and yes there are many similarities in our spiritual growth. When we first become Christians, all we want to do is eat. We're consumers only. We want to be fed. We're not very pretty during this stage. We blend in. We look a lot like the world around us. Like caterpillars, we are self-centered, thinking about our own needs first. A caterpillar will take from its source of nourishment till there is nothing left, then move on.
But then there is a different stage in the young Christians life, where we desire to come away from the world. We do separate ourselves from the outside world and we think we have finally found peace. We are in our nice little Christian cocoon, safe and protected from the ugliness and stresses of life. We get comfortable. But we stay put. We don't go anywhere or do anything great for God. We are content to be wrapped in his love. We no longer look like the world, but they don't really notice as we don't involve ourselves with it but stay silent, hidden away.
God allows us to go through the caterpillar and the cocoon stage. In fact it is part of the process he takes us through to help us become what he intended from the beginning--a reflection of his grace and glory. We grew fat as a caterpillar, we grew lazy and complacent as a cocoon, but God loved us as he knew exactly what that ugly overweight worm was destined to become. He knew it was going to be a source of rare beauty and delight. So at some point in it's development, the caterpillar, who has been seemingly dead and useless for quite some time, is no longer satisfied being stuck somewhere, going nowhere--doing nothing.
It's then the struggle begins, while the one in the cocoon, who can't even imagine what God has foreordained for them, decides to co-operate with God and break out from it's place of comfort and safety. Not knowing hardly anything of God's plan, but that it must leave where it's at, by faith steps out. The new creation that emerges has to take some time waiting on the Lord, testing its new wings.
The stuff that they use to feed on has lost its appeal. The butterfly now uses the green growing things around them for support but no longer devours them. It's more discriminate in its tastes now. It has to be sweet. It has to be the very essence of the flower--the nectar. Nor is the butterfly longing to be sheltered and tucked away somewhere, unbothered by anything. Instead the butterfly has a vision of doing something it has never done before and is not sure if it is even able to do, but God has put in their heart to lift off the ground and soar! You can find them sometimes, sitting in the sun, gaining courage, opening and closing their wings--preparing themselves. Then off they go--flying as God always knew they would.
Now they catch people's attention. They no longer blend in-- they stand out. They are bright and glorious colors, unique patterns, and full of grace. But they have never been any more vulnerable than they are now. They aren't camouflaged Christians, they aren't in a crack somewhere. They are floating by with nothing to protect them from attack. Butterflies flit from flower to flower, sipping on enough nectar to sustain them. Yet everywhere they go they are life-giving, as the butterfly helps pollinate the flowers. It's a give and take relationship. Just seeing and being around butterflies lifts the spirits. So be a butterfly for God.