Transformation

Picture is of a butterfly in Georgia. Taken while my brother and his wife were visiting my parents.

My friend Mhairi mailed us a butterfly kit.


I have to say; watching these caterpillars with my girls has caused many interesting reactions.
The first phase when these tiny worm like creatures arrived was kind of gross.
They live in the little bottle with food on the bottom. They do everything in this bottle and eat the food or yellow muck off the ground. Over several days these tiny worms grow fat and hairy. We had five of them in our jar. The bigger they got the more they pooped and ate from the yellow muck the more I wanted to gag.
Then the day came when each of them made their way to the top of the jar and attached themselves there. They hung themselves upside down, each finding a spot. Hours later they were in cocoons. These hard like shells seemed to appear out of no where and we waited and waited. We checked every morning. Mhairi came over twice and was afraid that they had died…Why was it taking them so long? Why were the cocoons turning black? As we were searching the internet for the answers to these questions, one of the girls noticed our first butterfly had emerged. As it came out of the cocoon, it splattered red blood like liquid all over the pavilion. When it opened its wings it was a beautiful orange painted butterfly. It no longer looked like a worm or ate like a worm. Now, instead of the yellow muck on the bottom of the jar, we were instructed to feed them sugar water, flowers and fruit.
I think I understand transformation. I mean anyone who is old enough to remember me before Christ would think I understood the power of transformation! Yet, watching God’s own illustration of transformation through these little creatures was mind boggling.
Words like “I am nothing but a worm” or “He rescued me from the miry clay!” kept coming into my mind as I watched them.
How about the red liquid that comes out from the cocoon as the butterfly is set free into a new life? “I am washed in the blood!”
Then to see them now flying, beautiful and eating only sweet things…
Reminded me again that there is a land of milk and honey waiting for us.
Philippians 3:20-21 “ Our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body!”
Truth be told….I haven’t even got a clue about transformation! My experience and my understanding is more like the yellow muck on the bottom of the dish.
1 Corinthians 13:12 “for now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
All five butterflies are alive! They all have experienced the transformation that God has planned for them. They each have survived the cocoon phase.
Do they sense the change? Do they feel or understand what has happened to them? Do they remember what they once were?
Do they marvel at what they have become?
Four little girls, their Mom and Mhairi….stand in awe!
We marvel at the work of God, in our lives and in His creation.