Do you identify with a caterpillar or a butterfly? Do you crawl when you could fly, when you could be free?
The very first day serving here, three weeks ago, in the small town of Platanar, Costa Rica the Lord gave me an analogy. We are building a butterfly shed so logically it was about butterflies!
Butterflies have a few life stages they go through:
They are born.
They are caterpillars.
They are in a cocoon.
They come out a butterfly.
At least in my mind, this is how their life goes. They probably have a lot more to say about this but oh well, you’re reading my blog, not theirs. Hahaha.
Automatically by being alive we all go through the first stage and land on the second stage of the cycle, caterpillars.
As caterpillars we go about our lives crawling from one stem to another, pushing along to meet our needs. We are limited to stems and leaves. The thought of being able to fly freely seems unreal, unusual, and risky maybe even complicated. In this stage, the cocoon is foreign territory. Not everyone will choose to step into the next stage because it is more comfortable to remain a caterpillar.
The cocoon is the process of dying to self and being transformed in to a new creation that is free and beautiful, full of color and life. It represents the decision to give your life to Jesus Christ making Him Lord of your life. It is a stripping of a former way of life, a former way of thinking.
The butterfly is the creation that comes from dying to self. It is free. Beautiful. Life is not perfect after we are butterflies. It requires sacrifice, intentionality, surrender, and dedication. But we learn to see life from a different perspective, from different angles. We are able to soar to areas of life that we did not even know existed when we were caterpillars. It demonstrates a new side to freedom like we have never known or experienced before.
If you have not switched stages, if you are still crawling when you could be free, what are you waiting for? What is holding you back? You just need to make the decision, He takes you as you are & transforms you. Jesus came to give life, abundant life. He does not condemn you but died on the cross and rose again to set you free. If you want to make the decision or want to know more about this, email me please. [email protected]
If you have given your life to the Lord, don’t stay in the cocoon anymore or go back to your old way of living. Let your light shine. Live in the freedom for which the Lord has made a way. Some of us Christians live closed off. We are still trying to crawl when the Lord has equipped us to live more abundantly.
GO. Show others what He has done for your life. FLY. Be free.
RANDOM SIDE NOTE – FOR THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE FACEBOOK (Yes, my lovely Miller family & you too Adrienne)
Remember way back when I fell off the bunk bed in Dominican Republic, well I never went to the doctor to get it checked having faith that God would heal it. (Check out Blog: Lessons on Cement Roofs). I mentioned in one of my Haiti blogs that there were suspicions I broke something in it (Check out Blog: Angel in the Prosthetics Lab). I FINALLY went to the doctors here in Costa Rica and got x-rays for my back & my knee due to the fall.
Back Results:
Turns out I was born with a defect on my back. I have a bone on my lower back that is larger on the right side than the left. This may cause some pain from time to time but the doctor assured me that it is something I can continue to live with & that it will not affect having kids someday;)
Knee Results:
THEY ARE NOT BROKEN!! I cried when the Doc told me this. I have been praying over my knee… so much. And well, God answered! The Doc said however, that it has still not healed all the way. I need to avoid the “squatting” motion for some time. He has given me pills for inflammation and a gel to rub on it! Oh guys, God is good.
Other News:
Final Financial Deadline: I have about $5000 to fundraise by April 30th!
