It had only been a few days since the first surgery of my entire 29 yrs of life. It was a major one, and I was under sedation for many hours. We knew it was going to take a long time to recover. My mother- in- law came to care for my children while I rested and recovered. One day grandma took the kids out. When they returned after several hours, my 4 yr old daughter was beaming with joy. In her hand she held a glass jar, and inside that was a pile of leaves and a beautiful fat caterpillar. I recognized it right away as a monarch, and for a moment, drifted back to one of the only pleasant memories from my childhood. My mom loved taking us out into fields as the weather cooled, to hunt for the big long milky pods that the creatures called their home. When we had found and collected many, we would take them home,(with the only food they could eat: the milkweed) to care and nurture them, until they transformed.
Now, so many years later, it brought such joy to my heart as one of my own children had "stumbled"
upon this little guy and would get to enjoy watching his transformation.
However, there did prove to be a problem.... this "grub" had been found in the garden and although I
knew monarchs ate only milkweed, grandma wasn't as sure. We tried feeding him many different leaves from around our yard, but it didn't matter what green delicate leave we tried. He would not eat it. I simply could not go tromping through fields as I wasn't allowed to walk or even drive yet. Grandma wasn't really up for that challenge either. I prepared for my little daughters sadness that I knew would come, when her precious new friend died of starvation.
Only a few days later, on a small outing, did I stop to gaze at a gorgeous green vine covered in delicate clumps of white flowers. As I leaned in to look closer and inhale a breathe of sweetness (I had assumed this was the very fragrant jasmine plant) did I notice strange pods. They looked suspiciously like a milkweed pod but were very clearly attached and growing from this lovely bush- headed straight to heaven on a lamp pole. Would this be a good source of food for our new little friend? I picked a pod and scratched my fingernail down it, and was delighted when white milky substance began to ooze from it's wound. I picked a few of them and walked to the car which I hadn't noticed before- was parked directly behind this big flowering wonder!
At home, we gently inserted our new found food into the jar and waited eagerly. That little caterpillar devoured the entire pod in only one day! I was praising God for providing food for our "pet" so that we would get to see first hand his amazing transformation! I was overjoyed to get to share this with my kids!
For days our friend ate and ate and ate. He was a VERY hungry caterpillar indeed.
One day, just as his last pod was almost gone, my daughter noticed him hanging on the lid. (We had provided a nice little stick for him, but he obviously felt safer at the very top of the jar!) As I explained how a caterpillar changed into a butterfly I told her we should watch him closely today. About a half hour later she checked again and came running, shrieking in delight. Her caterpillar was now a smooth jade and gold "sac"!
We set our pet's jar in a high, safe place so that no one could touch it and took turns watching him to see if anymore visible changes were taking place. As we all waited in patient anticipation we talked about how we would have to let our pet go once he came out. Our children, not liking the idea, begged for us to let him stay inside. Once again I explained how this guy would need flowers to eat and the sunshine to frolic in. Thankfully, the kids understood and were ready for the day they knew they had to say good-bye.
One week later I noticed the lovely green had turned colors- a monarch wing was now visible! We needed to go out that day and had hoped our friend would leave his grand finale for when we returned home. When we arrived back at home however, my 4 yr. old was the first into the house and ran straight to check on her caterpillar. She came bolting back downstairs shouting that she no longer had a caterpillar or a chrysalis- now she had a butterfly!
We all shuffled inside to gaze on a newly hatched, brightly colored, monarch butterfly. We all gazed in shear amazement at the incredible transformation that had taken place.
After a few moments, we headed outside equipped with our jar and of course our camera. Aaron snapped many shots before we gently "poured" him out onto one of my long pink zinnia's. He sat for a few minutes, perhaps enjoying the sunshine while allowing his wet wings to dry. Then after some coaxing from little hands too eager to touch his lovely wings, he flew away...........
Looking at this creature makes me smile at the thought of the creator. The creation is amazing, how much more awesome and awe-inspiring is the one who made these? A verse commonly used from the Bible is found in 2nd Corinthians 5:17-18 and says "Therefor if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come! All this is from God who reconciled us to himself in Christ". Christian gear with this verse commonly has a butterfly as it's symbol. I held on to this verse as a brand new believer as a way to constantly remind me who my new identity was. But to look deeper into the life of our family "pet" shows even more of God's wonders hidden in the life cycle of the tiny thing.
This little wonder can ONLY eat milkweed. One plant- out of all of the other vegetation on our planet! As a child of the Almighty God I too have only one thing that feeds me. The Word of God- The Bible. I can read Christian self-help books, Christian Bible studies, listen to Christian music and sermons on the radio..... but all of this.... will eventually leave me starved for the pure and simple Word of God. I am simply created to "eat it up", to be filled, and nothing else will do. On the other hand, just like the little monarch caterpillar, if I am reading God's love letter to me, my guide for life, I am fed so well I become plump, fat, and cannot help what comes next-amazing transformation! It will happen! Soon my life becomes enclosed by God's word, (like the caterpillar in his chrysalis),His will... I may have to wait until I see the physical transformation, but it will happen, if I will just rest in Him.
I have thanked God a thousand times in the last few days for bringing this tiny guy into our house and allowing us to behold it wondrous transformation. I saw God telling me how much he cares for all his creation when he supplied our starved friend with strange milkweed to eat, and how much he loved me to give me a slice of something wonderful to share with my family, when I was feeling so bad about my health.
"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin
yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!" Matthew 6:28-30
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