Recently, I was pondering and processing through my life as it is right now and how so much has changed over the past year. It’s like everything that I once knew and had has completely changed...from my independence even down to how I look and dress. All of my past physical/natural surroundings have slowly passed away as I once knew, yet my spirit is being transformed. And at the same time, I’m trying to embrace the spiritually new while also adjusting to the naturally new (new city, surroundings, new relationships, new habits, new norm).
While pondering this, I thought about the function of a caterpillar vs. a butterfly. You go from crawling on leaves to flying in the air, limited movement to freedom, consistent surroundings to limitless exposure, small to large, simple to extraordinary. You notice a butterfly before a caterpillar, it catches your eye and attention. It’s distinguishable, beautiful, elegant, powerful, impactful.
In the cocoon, a caterpillar becomes transformed to be this beautiful being created for more. With that process of transformation, it’s being prepared to not only be a butterfly but to function as one. Best believe it’s uncomfortable. Learning and discovering what’s new about you, how to use these new features, how to fight off new prey and thrive in different surroundings, what your new assignment is and how your purpose is being redefined. It’s training, shaping, molding, preparation. Like the wilderness. And then what comes out afterwards is something even more beautiful, free, impactful…with more opportunity, more exposure. And not to say the being before (the caterpillar) was any less important or useful or loved or valued…it’s just that it wasn’t at its full capacity yet, its greatest potential.
That’s what refinement is, what the wilderness is for, what the cocoon is…protection and preparation while you’re being transformed for more. And just like any process, it must be completed to maximize the outcome. Like a baby in a mother’s womb, or food that’s cooking in the oven. Even through the discomfort, endless waiting, and even pain, it must take its full course. God doesn’t birth half-done projects, He’s a God of completion. Everything He starts, He finishes. So best believe, that with His greatest creation (you) He intends to complete.
”being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.“ -Philippians 1:6 NIV
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