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| Monarch Butterfly |
In this film, they showed how the mother Monarch butterfly laid her egg on a
milk weed in the Texas Hill Country. After a time, the egg hatched. The Monarch
Caterpillar ate away at the soft shell; that was her nourishment for now. Next,
the nourishment would come from the milk weed on which she was born.
"Munch, Munch, Munch". The caterpillar would eventually grow
big and strong, up to four times her birth weight! She would then spin herself
into a cocoon, trying to blend in with a leaf to avoid her predators.
Up until now, her main concern has been about getting nourishment in order to
grow strong and avoid her enemies. Her whole life has been just what she could
see right in front of her, which hasn't been much. She did not even see the
entire plant, just the single leaf on which she was born. What a narrow vision
she had. The sweet caterpillar also moved about very slowly and for these two
reasons she was a very easy "target" for her predators. We also
learned that because of their vulnerability to their environment, very few
Monarch Butterflies actually live through this cycle of their life. Most of
them are destroyed by this time! The ones who do remain strong enough through
all their trials and obstacles eventually break free from their cocoon to
emerge a free flying butterfly. A beautiful winged creature that flies
high above their former circumstances. She looks as if she has absolutely no
care in the world, just flying around spending all of her time surrounded by
lovely flowers, soaking up the intoxicating fragrances as she feasts on the
yummy nectar. What a life!
As carefree as she may look, what we may not realize is that she is still hard
at work. There are still three more generations who are depending on her to remain
strong on her journey to continue the cycle of life.
As I watched this film, I thought, "God is so smart"! Not only has He
given us His written Word (The Bible), but He also made sure that we had
examples in nature. (Being the visual learner that I am, I really appreciate
Him doing that for us.) As I watched this butterfly, I realized that we are
very similar to her. We are born and like any baby, our only concern is,
"When am I going to eat?" Our little world is so very small and doesn't
involve very many people yet. We have no cares or worries and all the while we
have no idea what dangers we could encounter in a moment's notice.
For many years, we can only see what's right in front of us as we struggle
through our many trials and temptations, trying to find our way. We don't look
very "pretty" at times. But when we learn about The Lord and grow in
Him, we find "shelter". There in His loving arms we can rest,
blending in with Him as our enemies (predators) have less power over us. If we
remain strong in Him and have time of quiet stillness in His presence as we
allow Him time to work on us through His Spirit, we will emerge from our cocoon
with beautiful wings, ready to soar! (Well, maybe not wings, but free just the
same.) Light-hearted like a beautiful butterfly. We need to always keep in mind
that just like Monarch, there are younger generations that are depending on us
to remain strong and blaze a trail as an example for them.
When we "fly with God", we can see so much more than when we were
stuck, restricted and enslaved by our circumstances (cocoons). As we grow in
The Spirit, we begin to see the whole picture that God intended for us to see
from the beginning of time. The life He has been preparing for us ahead of
time. We gain a better "Kingdom View" of what He wants for us. We see
every "flower" as a beautiful opportunity to reach others and live in
His peace.
In Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV), Isaiah uses a winged animal to describe what God does
for us in our lives. Here he says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will
not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives
strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grows
tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in The Lord
will renew their strength. They will soar on 'Wings of Eagles'; They will run
and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
To me, having a "Butterfly Spirit" is being delicate and beautiful in
spirit, yet strong in The Lord. Trusting and having great faith in Him through
all the times of our life, whether it is a time of preparation, adjustment or
waiting. It's peaceful knowing that God can see much further than we are able.
He's got a "bird's eye view" and He wants us to begin to soar high
above our worldly struggles and see what He sees. This, to me, is having a
"Butterfly Spirit", and it's a beautiful way to live.
"Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths
straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts Him and He helps
me. My heart leaps for joy, and with a song I praise Him." Psalm 28:7
(NIV)
Excerpt
from, "Healing me, Healing you" by Sheri A. Taggart
(Chapter
15, "Waiting on The Lord"- a time for everything)
About the Author
Sheri
A. Taggart, a former fitness trainer and preventative medicine program
coordinator, now owns a private practice as a clinical massage therapy
practitioner. She also orchestrates and lectures for healthcare clinics
pertaining to stress, life imbalance, and sleep deprivation. Sheri, a Bible
teacher for many years, also serves in her Soul Therapy Ministry, offering free
Biblical counseling where she applies God's Word to current, modern-day issues.
Sheri lives with her husband in a small community near San Antonio, Texas.
Available on Amazon
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