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Writer's pictureVirginia Caradori

THE STRUGGLE


Never Help a Butterfly Break Out of a Cocoon


When I lived in Minnesota I remember this one day I was standing outside and saw a butterfly. Then I saw another and another. I looked around and realized there were millions of butterflies. I stood in the middle of the yard staring up into the blue sky. Butterflies filled the sky. I had never seen anything like it in all my life. They were Monarch butterflies like the ones in this photo, and that is exactly what it looked like. It was like being in some unearthly and delightful dream. They were simply beguiling! For two days they danced in the skies above my head.


I read an article once about the birthing of caterpillar to butterfly. The transformation process is the cocoon and then the butterfly must break free unassisted to discover their wings and fly. If you help the butterfly and they don't go through the struggle they will die. It is almost as if that struggle is the final phase in the transformation. How like God to show us in nature the very picture of the process of His creating a new creature and what life will be like when we are through with the struggle. How many people give up on God because they don't see an instant miraculous change in their life when they receive Jesus as their savior? God didn't promise us magic. He promised us trouble. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He never lies to us. He promises us peace if we remain in Him because He has overcome the struggle.


The stages of the life of a child of God match the stages of the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. The caterpillar represents our life before Christ. Have you watched a caterpillar? I have, they are fascinating chubby creatures that always seem to be searching for something. I believe they are searching for that place to hang their cocoon. We are all searching for something to put our hope in. We all have a need to find God and anchor to Him. When you anchor to God then you can fully trust Him to hold on to you while you transform.


The cocoon is the representation of the day of salvation and the days after. You are tied to God and wrapped inside a cocoon of hope for a new life. You can only stay inside that cocoon for so long. The cocoon is where you get your basic instructions on what life will be like shortly. It is important to pay attention during the cocoon phase. If you miss the lesson thinking you will always be safe in a cocoon, you will not be prepared. The struggle will be more difficult and many will give up.


When God sees that you are ready, the struggle begins. He knows it is in the struggle where we become strong. Every struggle is different because every journey is different. The destination remains the same for each of us, but no one can walk your road. If you have watched butterflies struggle to get free from a cocoon your first inclination is to help them. We are the same way with those we love. We want to do the work for them, but each struggle has to be experienced only by the butterfly. The most important part of the journey is actually the struggle. It is here where the wings develop their strength. Without that, there is no flying when it is over.


Then resurrection day happens! What a day that is! Imagine Jesus standing in a field of millions of brightly colored butterflies! His arms outstretched and all these newly resurrected butterflies, whose struggle is now behind them, fill the skies above him! He is laughing and turning circles while they fly all around Him wings beating in loud praise for their King! How like God to show us in the simple things what awaits us when this struggle is over.


Can you see it?

Can you hear him laughing?

The Joy of the Lord is my STRENGTH!


This is where Imagine Jesus can help you through the struggle. On the hard days just close your eyes and Imagine Jesus laughing with such joy that you made it through!


Your wings are mighty, brilliant with color and spectacular!

The struggle is finished!

His Joy is Complete!

You are home at last!

You will never leave him and HE will never leave you!


The struggle doesn't get easier, we get stronger as we learn to trust in HIM in the middle of that struggle. Take heart child of God, we are about to fly to heaven!


Yippppeeeeee!



Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."


Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.


2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the newcreation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"


1Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

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