Tuesday, April 30th, 2024
If you read any of my initial blogs (August of 2023) you may remember that God introduced my family to the life cycle of butterflies. We watched a total of four butterflies go from caterpillar stage to chrysalis to butterfly. God’s creation is absolutely incredible, and I love when He uses it to teach us spiritual truths.
Back on August 25, 2023, we had an Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar tuck away into its chrysalis. We were also housing three monarch chrysalises at the same time. Around the 10-day mark, the monarchs came out of their covering, and we released them outside. After day 14 however, the swallowtail still had not eclosed. In my butterfly research I had discovered that swallowtails can actually over-winter in our area. I started to get excited over the possibility of watching this incredible “pause” in the butterfly life cycle.
Throughout the fall and winter months we moved the chrysalis out to our shed where it would be exposed to the winter temperatures and protected from predators. Around the beginning of April, we moved it back into our house so that if it eclosed we would be able to see when it came out and release it outside. On April 28th as I was getting ready to start my day, I noticed the full-grown butterfly had decided to make its debut. My mind was overjoyed to think about this incredible aspect of creation that God had allowed us to experience. A year ago, I had no idea that butterflies could do this, and now my family and I were able to witness the whole process.
Most of us know that a bear hibernates, but a bear has a few hundred pounds of mass, a warm fur covering and a safe den to protect itself in. Chrysalises are all of a few grams and exposed to all that winter has to offer. And somehow, they maintain enough energy and instinct to know when and how to resume the last stage of their life-cycle. It’s just incredible.
I keep getting the sense that all of us need to hear the scripture from Habakkuk 2:3:
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
How many of us are waiting for promises? How many of us would like it if our promises were fulfilled just a little bit quicker? Let’s think about it from the butterfly’s perspective. What typically takes 10-14 days took him 247 days. That’s quite a difference. If none of these butterflies over-wintered however, they would cease to exist. Some number of them have to take the road that tarries in order to preserve the rest.
Final Thoughts…
I pray that we would all receive a fresh measure of hope. No matter how long we have waited for a promise or how much longer we have to wait, I pray that we would trust that God is working and that His ways are best. Romans 8:25 says:
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
May hope and perseverance be your portion for all the times you find your patience being finetuned. If we submit to the process, there is often much spiritual maturation that takes place in the waiting. God has orchestrated all of creation to run efficiently and beautifully. He isn’t going to change course with us. Rest and enjoy the journey!
