Good morning…
Sixteen. I saw exactly sixteen of these black caterpillars on one walk last week. Some were crawling. Some were squished. Some littler, some bigger. The sheer number of these creatures in one morning made them impossible for me to ignore.
Checking my phone when I arrived home, I was surprised by a text string from a friend in the longstanding Monday study group I host through church. “Hey Sue!” she wrote. “Thought you would enjoy these stages of a monarch’s life.”
“The green is the chrysalis,” she began. “I attached it to a stick and brought into our home.”
“I snapped this shot when I noticed the cocoon had opened,” she wrote. “Interesting, the cocoon was green and firm initially. The night before it hatched, it was a little brownish. When it opened the cocoon was clear, and the stuff on the bottom of the bowl is meconium my husband read.”
“This final picture is when my new friend crawled up my arm! Feel free to use these pics in your blog,” she generously offered.
“Oh how marvelous!” I replied. “Thank you for sharing and giving me permission to share. Perfect timing. I just counted sixteen caterpillars on my walk with Tate this morning. Sixteen in one day. It must be a seasonal thing. I came home wanting to research the kind of caterpillar it is and what type of butterfly it will turn into. Before I could do that, I got your text. God’s synchronicity among us is so palpable, even though our group has not met since March. Do you know what type of caterpillar this is, and what type of butterfly it will become?
“I’m not sure of that one,” she wrote. “Monarch caterpillars are striped in colors of orange, yellow, white, and black.”
“This monarch caterpillar is turned upside down, is already attached on top, and is starting a cocoon.” She pointed out, “It’s colors have begun to fade.”
“How interesting,” I responded. “Fascinating. Thanks again for sharing. I will enjoy spending time with God as we craft a beautiful blog post from your exquisite photos.”
As God and I spend time with these incredible images of metamorphosis, I am struck by the unstoppable development of God’s intricate design. Crawling caterpillar. Closed off cocoon. Emerging new creature. Flying free. Seamlessly the life of one monarch unfolds before our eyes.
The seasonal world around us mirrors the transformative power of the Spirit in our inner being. If you had to choose one stage to define your development with God right now, which phase describes you best?
Crawling caterpillar.
Closed off cocoon.
Emerging new creature.
Flying free.
Why does the phrase you choose sing your song today?
We also speak of these things, not in words taught or supplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words [for those being guided by the Holy Spirit] (1 Corinthians 2:13, AMP).
…Sue…
