Patience

For the past few weeks we have been studying butterflies and insects for science for home school.  We've learned about the three parts of the insect, the types of mouths they have, the wings.....  Just about everything you can think of when it comes to insects.  We have visited  Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Gaston Co.  a couple of times to see the butterfly exhibit.  We walked the grounds and observed all kinds of butterflies everywhere.   

Tiger Swallowtail

There is something about the Monarch that intrigues both of my sons though.  

My 6 year old has drawn countless Monarch caterpillars on paper and cut them out, just because they are so interesting to him.  He knows the colors and can recognize them without a shadow of a doubt when he sees one in nature now.  

We always seem to look for Monarchs the most when we are observing and my youngest gets the most excited when he spots one in flight.  The day we found Monarch caterpillars on a potted plant outside the Orchid Conservatory at Daniel Stowe Gardens both of the boys were thrilled.  What was even more exciting was the fact that the caterpillar was hanging upside down, taking the position needed to form its cocoon.  How exciting is that!!

Monarch Caterpillar

We ordered caterpillars online, Painted Ladies.  (Native to North Carolina.)  We have watched them grow.  Now they have formed chrysalises and are ready to be transferred to their habitat for hatching.  We cannot wait to see them change into butterflies.  I can only imagine my youngest son's excitement when he discovers the first one.

Caterpillars and butterflies have been on my brain so much this week and specific prayers I have been lifting up to God.  These two things were brought together in my heart, 
and the Lord told me some things this week.  So I'm writing again.....

I'm learning this week that the Lord sometimes has me wait on Him to do His part.  I pray, ask for the Lord's guidance, listen for His voice and act on what He whispers to my spirit.  Then many times I find I must wait......  Even in the storm I can find His peace.  If changes are to take place, it may be difficult, but it is possible to walk through it with God.  

A caterpillar cannot be a butterfly unless it waits on God to do His part.  He must quietly wait on the metamorphosis to take place.  He must endure the change.  But the result is still something beautiful.  My boys would claim that caterpillars ARE beautiful and after being around them for so long, observing them, learning about them, I absolutely agree.

The caterpillar is one of the stages God has in the life cycle of the butterfly.  The butterfly larva is not quite finished becoming what the Lord envisioned it to be.  God has a plan.

The Lord is not through with my life either.  He has a plan for my husband and I, for my kids, for my family, for this home school He desires us to have.  There is a plan for each of us.  Every time I pray and seek Him, He guides my steps a little more toward walking  in His perfect will. 

He leads, I follow.  

I need to keep that straight.  It's not my life journey God happens to be a part of.  No, no, it's His journey and I am a partaker of that.  He makes all those paths that are crooked in my life straight.  At times for me it's a moment by moment process.  Yes, through the changes, through strife and stresses, joys and successes.  He's always with me.  He sees today the "butterfly" I am to be in the future.  He sees today what I will become before I am that.  By placing our faith in His Son, Jesus, He sees us as children of God, adopted as sons and daughters, heirs with Christ in the kingdom, redeemed by His son's Jesus' blood, forgiven of sin, sealed with the Holy Spirit..... (Ephesians 1:3-14)

Praise Him for his loving grace!!  God sees us in this way.  For too often we simply do not see this in ourselves.  I certainly can do nothing to earn His marvelous grace.   I need these reminders.  I want to remember Ephesians Chapter1.  I need to remember who I am in Christ on a daily basis.  And when I see butterflies and caterpillars in the future I will think about God playing His part in my life.  And I must patiently wait at times for Him to accomplish His will in me.  I am too quick to want immediate results.  I must have patience.  I am learning.   I let go and let God play His mighty role and praise Him that He is a sovereign God who loves me and loves His children.

We can't wait to see our Painted Ladies hatch from their chrysalises and become butterflies.

Hopefully pictures to follow.


Here is our oldest with a Painted Lady at Daniel Stowe Gardens....