Over the weekend as I was watering my petunias, I saw a terrifying creature lurking on a leaf. I immediately called to my husband to save me and my petunias from this horrible creature. He did get rid of the creature, a caterpillar, but I don’t think he liked it much either (although he acted like I was a wimp for not doing it myself).

A bit later on as I was continuing to water the plants, I noticed several beautiful butterflies—some blue and black, some yellow and orange–flitting around, alighting on various blossoms and seeming to just enjoy floating around and providing a scene of peace and beauty. Who can’t love a butterfly, right?

It was then I felt guilty about the caterpillar, because you know that the ugly caterpillar becomes the beautiful butterfly through a transformational process. It’s not merely a change, like water becoming ice, because ice can also change back into water. It’s transformational because once the caterpillar morphs into a butterfly, it is not just a caterpillar with wings, and instead it is a totally different creature! Can you just picture in your mind the difference between a caterpillar and a butterfly? The transformation is a supernatural process, something that cannot be replicated by man. It’s something only God can do.

Becoming a believer in Jesus means that we are forever transformed, like the caterpillar to the butterfly. We may look the same on the outside unlike the transformation to a butterfly, but we are not the same person anymore. Paul says it like this: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Just as with the butterfly, this is a supernatural change, meaning that it is not something that we can do on our own. Our only part is to believe and receive this wonderful gift of salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

If you have already made this decision to believe and receive, then you know what I am talking about. If you haven’t yet but want to make this decision to believe and receive this wonderful gift of grace in order to be transformed to a new creation in Christ, I would love to have the opportunity to speak to you.

P.S. I’m still trying to figure out my strategy about caterpillars. I don’t want to inadvertently eliminate the butterflies by eliminating the caterpillars. Butterflies were not born that way after all, they were always caterpillars first. Maybe I’ll just cultivate some caterpillar-friendly plants. What do you think?

Blessings,

Judy