A Caterpillar’s Life
We’ve had several monarch caterpillars in our garden this spring and summer, although quite a few less than previous years. Our friend Colleen has found such joy as she’s watched them eat their way from tiny little guys to chubby adults, ready to embark on their journey to find the perfect chrysalis-making spot. But she’s never been blessed to see one successfully metamorphose into a beautiful orange and black monarch butterfly, so aptly named as king of these winged insects.
Until yesterday.
Colleen had named a certain caterpillar (along with a few others), Dave. Dave had been rescued from a dangerous area near our cars and was transferred to a potted milkweed plant on our back deck. (You may recall that milkweed is the host plant for monarchs.) Soon after the rescue Colleen lost sight of Dave and feared he’d been plucked off the plant. That is, until Dave, the lost caterpillar was found on a completely different plant on our upper deck, all stretched out and ready to attach himself and spin his cocoon! When I went to point out to Colleen the place he’d chosen, Dave had already gone through the process of transforming his chubby caterpillar body into a lime green chrysalis! We were both pretty amazed.
Each day Colleen and I watched Dave’s chrysalis, carefully checking to be sure he was okay. You see, we’ve seen other chrysalises attacked by spiders, causing them to die before they’ve finished their transformation. But Dave was looking good! For two weeks we kept vigil, waiting to see the first signs that his metamorphous was nearly complete. Then on Tuesday of this week the coloring of the chrysalis began to change and we knew Dave-the-butterfly would emerge within a few days.
Wednesday we forgot to check on Dave. Then yesterday, Thursday, when I saw two monarchs flitting, dancing and laying eggs in the front garden, I was reminded that I should see what he was up to…
And there he was – his metamorphous complete! All evidence of his former life was gone, save the empty shell of a translucent chrysalis. Dave had been transformed into a beautiful monarch butterfly.
I quickly snapped a picture and sent it off to Colleen so she could see Dave-the-butterfly for herself. Amazingly, as soon as I’d sent it to her, Dave flew away! He was off to new adventures, new heights, in the new life he was meant to live! And God had blessed Colleen with the gift of seeing him before he was gone. Such a sweet gift.
I’ve been granted a sweet gift also: seeing the change in this dear friend since she accepted Jesus into her life. I’m witnessing a true metamorphous, as His life in her provides strength for the journey she is on. I check in on her each day and am so blessed to hear He is giving her one small victory after another. She may not always see change, thinking she’s just hanging on so she can get through the day. But deep inside her, our Lord is working in ways we can’t always see. And He will continue to work to bring about His desired change in her, in me – in all of us – until the transformation is complete!
Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Lord, thank you for this new and transformed life you have given us, so similar to that of a caterpillar-turned-butterfly. Thank you for continuing to work in us until the transformation is complete!
A monarch butterfly soon after emerging from it's chrysalis