Thursday, March 26, 2009

Pardon My Progress...

I earnestly seek God and seek to know Him and know all that I can about the relationship I have with Him that has defined my life. I want desperately to speak intelligently and persuasively about my views and to have a firm hold on the theological concepts that shape my faith. I strive to live a life that exemplifies those beliefs. But...despite the fact that I have been growing in my faith for 15 years, sometimes I realize that there is still so much to learn and so many ways to grow. In fact, the more I grow the more I see just how much I don't know. I stand in awe of those people who have it "all together" and seem to never waiver in their life.

The other night I had just put the kids to bed and was doing some picking up and I started hearing a tapping sound on the window. There was a time that would scare me, but now when I finally get the kids to bed and have a moment of peace it really just started annoying me! I pulled back the curtain and there were two insects banging themselves into the window. Josh and I couldn't figure out at first what they were. I had never seen anything like it. It had wings, but it's body was so funny looking. I thought that when we got right up to the window they would go flying off. But they didn't. They just kept hitting the glass. Finally after a few minutes of observation I realized that they were butterflies that were trying to get out of their cocoons! They literally were still in the cocoon except for their wings! I had never seen such a thing. We got a front row seat to these butterflies entrance into the world as their new creation and it wasn't pretty!

I have to admit it was kind of funny and kind of sad. I wanted desperately to make them understand that our window was not going to move no matter how many times they threw themselves into it. I wondered how long it was going to take them to figure it out on their own.

Well, I have to admit that watching them clumsily make their way into the world as butterflies made me think about myself. I ,too, often feel rather clumsy and awkward as I continue to change into the new creation God wants me to be. When I first started living my life according to God's Word I had someone share this verse with me. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17. I remind myself of this verse often when I have days that I feel like I'm stuck in my cocoon. Those butterflies made me realize that turning into a new creation is not an easy, seamless process. It takes work. And sometimes it feels like you're banging yourself into a wall! But...I am willing to bet that those butterflies who were once prisoners to the ground are now very glad for the wings that give them so much freedom.

That is what I have found in Christ. Freedom. I haven't figured out all of the answers and I know that I will continue to learn new things and be changed everyday. So, please pardon my progress as I work my way out of this cocoon!!!

3 comments:

Lori said...

Love this and I needed it!! Sometimes my progress is VERY annoying to others:)

Karen said...

Awesome post! If I may add... it is the struggle to get out of the cocoon that makes the butterfly strong enough to fly. If we were to release them they would die - their wings would not be strong enough to carry them. Beautiful picture of God allowing struggles in our lives so we can progress and grow into the strong, lovely people he created us to be!

Lori said...

Karen is so smart isn't she? I would have never thought of that!!