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The Caterpillar Story

It is such an awesome thing to observe creation and how God has fashioned out the creative process so uniquely. I was listening to a pastor talk about metamorphosis and it struck me just how wonderful God is.

Take the caterpillar. An ugly, fat blob that goes about munching at every green thing in its path. It keeps growing rounder and fatter until it’s time to go into it’s coccon. Anyone looking at it would never think much of it, except they know the story of its metamorphosis.

The farmer would most likely not be interested, as he would want to get rid of the caterpillar to save his crops. The birds flying above would care less, as they only see the caterpillar as food. Who cares about the caterpillar? Maybe only the caterpillar.

Give it a few weeks and you will see this same caterpillar transform into a beautiful and unique butterfly, fluttering about with such beauty that everyone is impressed. But do they know the story of its journey? Were they there to help it when it was building its coccon? When it was hibernating in that cocoon for two to three weeks, and when the time came to emerge and it is squeezing out of its coccon, where were they? Did they allow it feed well when it was rolling along, munching, preparing to hide away?

But when the butterfly emerges gloriously, everyone wants to associate with it. Its colours are bright, loud, attractive. It flies up, down and everywhere, drawing attention to itself. Everyone admires it.

Are you a caterpillar? Could it be that you have been rolling along, doing your own thing, preparing for your emergence silently? Maybe no one notices you. Maybe no one cares. Maybe no one has realized the future awaiting you and they treat you like a caterpillar, ignoring you, maligning you, treating you like a blob?

Not to worry. The time of your arising will come. Though it tarries, it will surely come and you will emerge, as the glory of the Lord rises up on you. You will shine as light in the midst of a dark and crooked world. That is God’s desire. That is God’s plan. That His children will rise up as light that is not hidden, shining brightly out of the darkness of this world, to draw people to His light.

You may not exactly feel like it. Maybe you are struggling right now. With the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, maybe your life has been restricted. Maybe you are tackling problems you never imagined could come your way. Maybe the lockdown has revealed truths in your life that you never knew. Maybe you’re troubled and depressed.

Or the opposite is your story. Maybe this pandemic has been a blessing and you’re already shining like you never expected. Maybe you have benefited from new and varied business opportunities in this season. Maybe the pandemic has proven to be a time of desired rest and recuperation. Maybe you’re getting your health back and your money is working for you while you’re resting?

Regardless of where you are at this present time, know that God has you covered. And His intention and plans for you have not changed. He still has everything under His control and His plan is that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. His plan is that you shine. His plan is for you to stand out, doing the works that He planned for you to do before He sent you on the earth (Ephesians 2:10).

So, lift up the heads that hang down and strengthen your arms for the work. Let your feet move in time to the rhythm of heaven. It is time to shine for God. It is time to emerge out of the place of preparation and come into the place of opoortunity. It is time to arise and shine despite the environmenrt, the pandemic and everything else that is out of whack in our world right now.

We do not ignore our environment. Rather, we stand in the face of it and hold on to the truth of God, that even in this, our light will not be dimmed. Our resolve will not wane. Because the One Who sent us is above everything and His message has not changed. “…that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Phillipians 2:15 NKJV

Our commission remains the same. As time ticks by, let us not waste time waiting for the pandemic to be over. Let us resume our journey of shining. Like the caterpillar, let us resume our munching, building the coccon, staying in the coccon, emerging from the cocoon, flying as a butterfly. Whatever stage you are at, pick it up and move on.

Go on and shine!

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