Butterfly


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
April 21, 2008

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come. buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. Isaiah 55: 1-3

Their small bodies and large wings don’t just occur overnight. There is quite a journey that the beautiful butterfly must go through before it emerges as the winged creature that we love to adore. This journey is a metamorphosis. The life cycle from lowly caterpillar to delicate butterfly takes time and great effort to reach its final stage. Once mature, the butterfly feeds on nectar from flowers and flutters about in search of a mate. We can thank the butterfly for its contribution towards playing a key role as a pollinator in our gardens.

Our Christian life is a journey, too. We begin to give up our old ways and turn over a new leaf as we learn about values and ways of living that are pleasing to God. It takes time to read the stories in the Bible and it takes more time to memorize scripture. There is no shortcut. No crash course. It requires daily effort from us to keep on the journey. We have to do our part. Just going to church on Sunday is not enough. Hopefully we are taking time each day for praise and thanksgiving, along with our prayers and then some time to listen. Many answers to our prayers are found in the Bible. We can get so much out of it if we just take a few minutes a day to read. The book of Psalms is a great place to begin or if you are seeking wisdom, Proverbs offers great advice. Perhaps you want to start with the four Gospels in the New Testament. It doesn’t matter where you begin, but that you begin. Where are we in our metamorphis as a Christian? A good question to ask ourselves. Drinking from the water of the Bible will fill us to overflowing with all good things from God. Then we can be like the butterfly and go from here to there, sharing what God has taught us.