Inspiration
And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 3:10
Reading and Learning
"It looks like a worm," he said, " but different from the worm . . . a caterpillar, a fascinating creature . . . the child of a butterfly . . . an ugly crawling wormlike crature born of a beautiful winged creature. And it has no idea of its origins or who its parent is. It goes through life crawling on the ground. The only life it know is a wormlike life."
. . .
"Only in dying as a caterpillar can the crature undergo a metamorphosis. And when the metamorphosis is comoplete, a new being emerges from the shell of the chrysalis. The new creature no longer has anything wormlike about it. It is now winged and beautiful. It will never again crawl through the earth and never again be earthbound. It will live in the image of the one who gave it life . . . as the winged creature it was always meant to become."
. . .
"The caterpillar is given life by the butterfly. We are given life by God. As the caterpillar crawls through life, earthbound and unaware of the purpose for which it was born, so man goes through life earthbound and unaware of the purpose for which he was born. We see with wormlike eyes, think wormlike thoughts, and live wormlike lives. But to some of these earthbound creatures a miracle happens . . . They allow themselves to die to the old, to the earthbound wormlike life. And yet in their dying to their old self they begin a metamorphosis. The earthbound life dies. But what emerges in its place is a different life, a new creation, beautiful and no longer earthbound but now heavenly and made to dwell in heavenly realms . . . and what it was always meant to be . . . a heavenly being in the image of Him from whom it was given life in the first place."
Day 204
Outdoor Fun
We did not play outside very long today because of the heat, but the time we were out was filled with hunting for cicada skins. Our pear trees seem to be a favorite place for them to molt and were a treasure trove the boys.
This evening Michael and I attended an outdoor concert given by the Bontrager Family They were at our church Sunday evening and Michael loved them so much that when we found out they were singing again in our area this week we decided to go again. A summer storm this afternoon had cooled things down a bit and it was a very pleasant evening to enjoy good music and time with friends.
Other Fun
On My Mind
Butterflies have long been a favorite of mine, not only because of their beauty, but because of the awesome transformation they go through to reach that beauty. So when I read the devotional that I shared parts of earlier in this post, it really resonated with me. Looking back I can see the times when the I was crawling in the dirt, the times when I was in the transition state of the chrysalis, the times when I began to emerge from that chrysalis but still needed time rest, to let my wings dry and recover from the process of transforming, and the times I flew. And as difficult as some of those times were, now, I see the work that was happening and the results are truly a miracle from God.
So, never give up. Never discount the value of the death and pain that happens during the transformation. God has given us a glimpse of what He is doing in the chrysalis of change. Just look at the butterfly!
Today's Quote
Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she began to fly.
~ Author Unknown
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