Change Don’t Come Easy Sometime

Last year I heard this story at my cousins funeral and knew I needed to share it. Many of us probably made new year’s resolutions for changes in our lives this year.  As this story reminds us, change don’t come easy sometime…We can be stubborn and fearful creatures that value being comfortable right where we are.

Charlie and Chip Monarch were two of the happiest of brother caterpillars and love to climb as high as they could to eat the most flavorful leaves. Their days were filled with certainties of sunshine, leaves, brotherhood and eating. It was a good life. Then one day things around them began to change. Others in their community were trying out this new trend of wings. Charlie and Chip thought this was weird and the idea of getting into a capsule and going to sleep for 10 days just to get those wings was ridiculous. “How will they get to the good leaves wearing those wings? Chip asked. “And they only have 2 little feet… how will they hang on to a branch without all of the feet they used to have!!”

One day when a friend stopped by to show off his wings, Charlie remarked, “You’ll never catch me in that contraption!”.

 

The story of Charlie and Chip mirrors our lives in many ways. We also go through changes in our lives as we move through stages of infancy, childhood, teen life, adulthood, mid-life, and senior living.  It also is similar to our spiritul life. Stages of growth from birth, to life, to rebirth is all a part of our spiritual life.  Death is also a part of these stages as we let go of childish things and move into maturity in Christ. We can also see the death of friendships, habits, lifestyles. These brothers saw what was happening and began to worry about what the next stages would bring if they made the choice to join the others. They would no longer climb or eat leaves.  They would have to fly and drink flower nectar. But Jesus has told us not to worry about life in this way.

  

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  Matt 6:25-27

 

The life cycle of a caterpillar is only about 40 days from egg to death. During their life they will change form 3 times from egg to caterpillar to butterfly as well as shed their skin many times as a caterpilar. Within each change is a radical period of death and rebirth including the final phase where the caterpillar liquifies before becoming a sopping wet butterfly that needs to rest and dry before flying. Little did Charlie and Chip know that soon they would soon have a pulling in their hearts to climb into a cocoon and sleep - just to get those wings.  They would also have a change in taste and love nectar instead of leaves. When we choose to follow Jesus we are told change will come.  It has to, if we are to become more like Christ and grow in our spiritual life. With change can also come insults or dis-belief from others. But, we are encouraged to stick with God’s plan for changes in our lives by Isaiah, one of the great Butterflies of Faith:

“Listen now, you who know right from wrong,
    you who hold my teachings inside you:
Pay no attention to insults, and when mocked
    don’t let it get you down.
Those insults and mockeries are moth-eaten,
    from brains that are termite-ridden,
But my perfect plan lasts,
    and my salvation goes on and on and on.”  

Isaiah 51:7-8

Here is the testimony I imagine the brother’s friend, Paul Butterfly, spoke to them as he showed them his wings.  It is the desire we should all have for our brothers and a good reminder for ourselves as we move through our lives that are full of changes; deaths and rebirths of life stages and increasing maturity. It’s my hope for all of you, as well.

“We know now that when the caterpillar bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by special bodies that God-made, and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less. That’s why we live and fly with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions above. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few holes in the leaves or sleep in a cocoon was going to stop us? When the time came, we were plenty ready to exchange cocoon for purpose.

Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad. That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to get their wings. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.” (from 2 Corinthians 5)

** Lord, thank you for making me who I am.  Thank you for using me for your purposes and giving me a life path to follow.  Please take my days and use me for good. Forgive me for resisting changes in my life that you’ve designed for re-birth in me.   I love you and will try trust you for growth in me and help me encourage, without doubt, growth you are working in those around me. ** 

Click here to see a video of the entire life of Charlie & Chip as they decided to get their wings.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AUeM8MbaIk&feature=player_detailpage