Transformation

from Glory to GLORY

“Who stops to pick up a butterfly?”, I asked myself, after spotting this beauty sadly laying on its side along the shoulder of the road… but that’s what I did. As I leaned over and gently pinched its wings together between my thumb and index finger, besides feeling the flood of summerly childhood memories from the happy August pastime of ‘catching’ butterflies that used our unpaved driveway along the shores of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake N.Y. as a resting place, I noticed that it was still alive. Probably injured by a passing car, and not having the strength to protest, I looked it over, saw that all of its wings were intact and it had all four of its legs. Wondering what to do, and not willing to leave it in the road, I decided to place it in a spot, that if it WERE to die, it might find comfort in the familiar – amidst the yellow and white wildflowers. I left it there and only looking back once, I proceeded down the road for my daily walk. As I took in the sights and sounds of the lake, I wondered about the butterfly… would it be there…would it still be alive? And upon my return, though one of its two antennae was rather droopy, there it was…alive and in a different position than I had placed it. Though all in shadow, not knowing if I would see this beauty again – and leaving it in God’s care, I took out my camera and took several photos…I wanted to honor this little marvel of God’s creation – this mysterious transformative creature – from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly, and too, with the aid of this photo, to pause and remember that God, driven by a passion we entrust to His plans and purposes, delights in transforming His children. Depending on our personalities the thought of change can make us bristle or fearful. But there are times when He calls us into an unprotested holy rest, asking only from us a humbled willingness on our part to patiently wait…while our gaining heart listens to hear His call and our soul, to feel His life-infusing breath faithfully lifting us, with soaring gratitude, onto our next appointed God-transforming destination…