Are you feeling more like a butterfly or a caterpillar?

I don’t think it’s a secret that I love butterflies. They are beautiful creatures and it’s delightful when they fly by. They seem to be everywhere lately. My friend tells me that they are migrating south, that could be true, but I also think I see them because I am looking! Have you noticed that when you think about something, all of a sudden it appears everywhere? It could be that, or it could just be a coincidence! (or not…)

What do I know about butterflies besides that they are pretty? Well, I learned today that most butterflies have a short lifespan of less than a year. Many spend only a few weeks of their life in the adult butterfly stage. Since it is the last stage of life, it must be the most glorious one since they are not tied to Earth. They embrace the wind and fly in the sky.

Butterflies often fly in a erratic pattern and not in a straight line. It depends on the purpose of the flight. I’m pretty sure my path is like a butterflies’ sometimes. It’s only in a straight line when I am going to and from work. The rest of the time I can tend to meander.

So let’s think on this, if a butterfly only spends a small part of it’s life as an adult, what is going on for the rest? It’s a caterpillar before it’s a butterfly and it has to go into hibernation in a cocoon to make that transformation happen. Can you relate? I know I can!

For a butterfly, they get one transformation. We get lots of chances to grow and to become who God created us to be. I have been on this planet almost a half century and just in that short span I have experienced many periods of growth and transformation. Each time, it’s a little different and the lesson is more complex. The path is absolutely not straight, but that’s what makes it beautiful.

After all my butterfly sightings this week, the line from The Little Prince got stuck in my head. “Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies”. Ok, in my head it was in French, but you can see what I mean. The rose was correct. If I want to experience the glorious parts, I must also know the moments that led up to that experience.

It’s the circle of life. No, I won’t sing that for you, but I could. Wherever you are in the journey at the moment, know it does not last forever. If you are feeling like a caterpillar, then the time of the butterfly is coming. If you are feeling like a butterfly, fly high my friend!