Two Butterflies

Photo by SFAJane 2010

One lovely morning, my husband Richard was reading aloud from our daily devotionals as we sipped coffee on our lanai overlooking the woods.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a pale gold butterfly, delicately traced with black veining and borders, bejeweled with dots of sapphire and ruby. It drifted past my gaze and then soared upward on the breeze.

“Look!” I exclaimed. “A beautiful butterfly!”

“That?” Richard asked doubtfully, pointing at what appeared to be a dried leaf suspended from a twig.

I realized that the swallowtail butterfly I had spotted was no longer in our field of vision, apparently having caught a wind current lifting it gently toward the heavens before Richard could see it. What he was viewing was indeed a butterfly, albeit a dark, shriveled creature suspended on a nearby bush. Was it dead?

It was hanging from a twig, caught in thin strands of silk. We couldn’t see a fully formed web, so we weren’t sure if it was trapped by a spider beyond our view, or if it was a newborn butterfly just having emerged from its chrysalis. At least now there were signs of life – faint, intermittent pulsating of its wings. Was it in the throes of death, or struggling for new life?

Intermittent glances at the butterfly as we continued our readings did not shed light on the situation, but finally, after a few arduous beats of its wings, it flew away! I imagined that perhaps it had joined the butterfly I had seen earlier, both elevated to lofty heights, together enjoying the freedom of flight.

Far from coincidentally, our selection of morning readings had touched on being elevated to heavenly places with Christ (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6), on being born again (John 3:3-8), and on the dangers of falling prey to subtle sins that can ensnare us and keep us from soaring upward with our Lord and Savior (Hebrews 12:1).

To me, the first butterfly epitomized the joy, beauty and liberty of salvation (Psalm 21:1; 35:9) through trusting in Jesus Christ, Son of God Who died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). When we are saved and in His perfect will, the Holy Spirit empowers us to soar with Him on the heavenly mission He has designed specifically for us (Ephesians 2:10).

We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) in all details, and God created the human eye to be attracted to movement, pattern and color. Just as I quickly noticed and was uplifted by the colorful butterfly darting past me, so our spirits are attracted to the believer who is not only saved, but who is fulfilling God’s perfect plan for their life (Jeremiah 29:11). There is an inner beauty, purpose, and freedom in such a soul that acts as a beacon to all who are blessed to encounter them (Matthew 5:14-16).

But the soaring butterfly was once a lowly caterpillar, and the born-again believer emerged from a despairing sinner realizing their need of a Savior. The encumbered butterfly, which could have been in the final stages of metamorphosis, reminded me that only the Spirit can lift the sinner from the pain and darkness in the pit of sin to the healing and light of salvation (Psalm 30:3; 40:2; 143:7).

Like metamorphosis, the process of salvation is not instantaneous or painless. It occurs over time as the sinner hears the Word (Romans 10:14) and is convicted of his own sin, lack of merit, and inability to save himself from the eternal punishment in hell that his sins deserve (Ephesians 2:8-9). Meanwhile, the Spirit works in the heart to save him through processes unknown to us (Ecclesiastes 11:5).

Or was the second butterfly caught in a spider’s web, struggling against the odds to be set free? Even once we are saved, we can easily fall prey to Satan’s traps and to the sins that so easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1). On casual glance, these may seem innocent enough, and even attractive, like silky strands of web shimmering in the sunlight. But if we let down our guard, we are so easily trapped (1 Peter 5:8), not to lose our salvation, but to lose the joy and freedom of fulfilling God’s purpose for us.

Thankfully, there can be release and restoration, just as there was for the butterfly that may have been freed from the spider’s web. If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9) and will renew our fellowship with Him, so that we can wait upon Him to lift us up as on eagle’s wings! (Isaiah 40:31)

May we soar freely with Him, born again as the caterpillar to new life as the butterfly, and restored to heavenly places when He forgives us of our confessed sins! 

© 2017 Laurie Collett

Coquinas and Butterflies

Photo by Island Ecology

 

As we strolled the beach last evening, my husband and I were struck by the vast number of coquina shells at the water’s edge. These tiny, colorful shells are often called butterfly shells because they are bivalves with a wing shape, and when the two halves are still attached to one other they resemble butterflies in flight, particularly given their pastel or jewel-like tones and radiating patterns like the sun’s rays at dawn.

At first I was delighted to be collecting so many of these intact specimens in all the colors of the rainbow. But then I realized that the stretch of shore where these were spread out, like miniature brooches in a jewel box, was the same stretch that we had previously nicknamed “Coquina Beach” because many live coquinas used to burrow into the sand with each incoming wave, only to resurface as the wave receded.

Shore birds, especially long-legged brown ones in the plover family, love to feast on live coquinas, and we have often spotted them fishing for their dinner and gobbling down their prey. But last evening, these nearly tame creatures were curiously absent, except for one dejected loner poking at seaweed with his long beak, apparently to no avail.

It made me wonder if the recent heat wave, with Gulf temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit bleaching out and devastating the coral, was also taking its toll on the delicate coquinas. Perhaps that was why their empty shells were so plentiful, while live specimens and their predators were so scarce.

A saddening thought, and yet the shells we collected were a lasting reminder of the beauty and creativity of God’s intelligent design. It reminded me of the life cycle of the butterfly, perhaps an even greater example of God’s signature in His creation.

A lowly caterpillar crawls along the dirt, often as drab as its surroundings, until one day it spins a shroud-like chrysalis around itself. There it remains, outwardly dormant for some time. In this phase, which resembles death to the casual observer, the caterpillar completely digests itself, and its molecules are rearranged into a nascent butterfly, still entombed within the chrysalis.

But at exactly the right moment, the butterfly struggles to free itself from the chrysalis. Good-intentioned humans, witnessing this struggle, have sometimes cut the chrysalis to “help” the butterfly emerge, only to find that their actions have killed the fragile creature. The struggle for liberation is an essential part of the transition from caterpillar to butterfly, as it pumps fluid into the nascent wings and strengthens them.

This metamorphosis is often used as a symbol of being saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). While we are dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-5), we are base creatures like the caterpillar, unable to lift our heads from the filth around us (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Before we can be born again (John 3:3-8), we must die to our fleshly sin nature (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5), much as the caterpillar destroys itself within the chrysalis.  

But when the Holy Spirit has completed this process within our heart – often as we struggle to shed the old man (Romans 6:6) and yield to Him-- we emerge as a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), capable of soaring to heavenly places in Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6). We are then clothed in the beauty of His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Our sin-stained garments are washed white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) and replaced with the finest robe, like the one the Father placed on the returned Prodigal Son (Luke 15:22).

The butterfly’s life as a beautiful, flying creature is ephemeral at best, lasting only a short time and ending soon after laying eggs that will hatch into caterpillars and renew the cycle. Hopefully, the live mollusks that left behind the empty coquina shells also had a chance to reproduce, so that one day, perhaps when the weather is more favorable, “Coquina Beach” will once again be teeming with life, providing a nourishing buffet for the shore birds.

Our life on earth as born-again Christians is nearly as transient (James 4:14), perhaps even more so now as plagues, famine, natural disasters, wars, and other labor pains of the End Times increase in frequency and intensity (Matthew 24). But when we die, we are with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:8), and one day at the Rapture we shall have glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:40-58) more magnificent than we could ever imagine! These bodies will soar through the skies as we rise to meet Him and may even be able to instantly transport us to another place or to walk through walls (John 20:19), as Jesus did in His glorified body!

But in the meantime, may we too be fruitful, like the coquina or butterfly.  Some of us may be blessed with children, a great gift from God (Psalm 127:3-5), and even more blessed when our children accept Christ and we have played some small part in bringing them into God’s family.

Yet all Christians, whether or not we have offspring, can be fruitful by doing all we can in our brief lifespan on earth as children of God and joint-heirs with Christ. May we be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure, to pray for and witness to others, to encourage and uplift the saints, and to serve God wherever He places us until He brings us home or comes again!

© 2023 Laurie Collett

Two Butterflies

Photo by SFAJane 2010

One lovely morning, my husband Richard was reading aloud from our daily devotionals as we sipped coffee on our lanai overlooking the woods. 

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a pale gold butterfly, delicately traced with black veining and borders, bejeweled with dots of sapphire and ruby. It drifted past my gaze and then soared upward on the breeze.

“Look!” I exclaimed. “A beautiful butterfly!”

“That?” Richard asked doubtfully, pointing at what appeared to be a dried leaf suspended from a twig.

I realized that the swallowtail butterfly I had spotted was no longer in our field of vision, apparently having caught a wind current lifting it gently toward the heavens before Richard could see it. What he was viewing was indeed a butterfly, albeit a dark, shriveled creature suspended on a nearby bush. Was it dead?

It was hanging from a twig, caught in thin strands of silk. We couldn’t see a fully formed web, so we weren’t sure if it was trapped by a spider beyond our view, or if it was a newborn butterfly just having emerged from its chrysalis. At least now there were signs of life – faint, intermittent pulsating of its wings. Was it in the throes of death, or struggling for new life?

Intermittent glances at the butterfly as we continued our readings did not shed light on the situation, but finally, after a few arduous beats of its wings, it flew away! I imagined that perhaps it had joined the butterfly I had seen earlier, both elevated to lofty heights, together enjoying the freedom of flight.

Far from coincidentally, our selection of morning readings had touched on being elevated to heavenly places with Christ (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6), on being born again (John 3:3-8), and on the dangers of falling prey to subtle sins that can ensnare us and keep us from soaring upward with our Lord and Savior (Hebrews 12:1).

To me, the first butterfly epitomized the joy, beauty and liberty of salvation (Psalm 21:1; 35:9) through trusting in Jesus Christ, Son of God Who died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). When we are saved and in His perfect will, the Holy Spirit empowers us to soar with Him on the heavenly mission He has designed specifically for us (Ephesians 2:10).

We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) in all details, and God created the human eye to be attracted to movement, pattern and color. Just as I quickly noticed and was uplifted by the colorful butterfly darting past me, so our spirits are attracted to the believer who is not only saved, but who is fulfilling God’s perfect plan for their life (Jeremiah 29:11). There is an inner beauty, purpose, and freedom in such a soul that acts as a beacon to all who are blessed to encounter them (Matthew 5:14-16).

But the soaring butterfly was once a lowly caterpillar, and the born-again believer emerged from a despairing sinner realizing their need of a Savior. The encumbered butterfly, which could have been in the final stages of metamorphosis, reminded me that only the Spirit can lift the sinner from the pain and darkness in the pit of sin to the healing and light of salvation (Psalm 30:3; 40:2; 143:7).

Like metamorphosis, the process of salvation is not instantaneous or painless. It occurs over time as the sinner hears the Word (Romans 10:14) and is convicted of his own sin, lack of merit, and inability to save himself from the eternal punishment in hell that his sins deserve (Ephesians 2:8-9). Meanwhile, the Spirit works in the heart to save him through processes unknown to us (Ecclesiastes 11:5).

Or was the second butterfly caught in a spider’s web, struggling against the odds to be set free? Even once we are saved, we can easily fall prey to Satan’s traps and to the sins that so easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1). On casual glance, these may seem innocent enough, and even attractive, like silky strands of web shimmering in the sunlight. But if we let down our guard, we are so easily trapped (1 Peter 5:8), not to lose our salvation, but to lose the joy and freedom of fulfilling God’s purpose for us.

Thankfully, there can be release and restoration, just as there was for the butterfly that may have been freed from the spider’s web. If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9) and will renew our fellowship with Him, so that we can wait upon Him to lift us up as on eagle’s wings! (Isaiah 40:31)

May we soar freely with Him, born again as the caterpillar to new life as the butterfly, and restored to heavenly places when He forgives us of our confessed sins!  

© 2017 Laurie Collett