Wings of Strength

Butterflies have intrigued me since I was a little girl. I love their colors and graceful beauty combined with their agile quick movements. I would spend hours trying to catch them… carefully sneaking up and cupping my hands over them so as not to hurt them. Then I would slowly open my hands to see if I had been successful.

Even today, butterflies always catch my eye and intrigue me. It’s much more than…

- the rest of the story -

….their colors, their movement and my childhood memories. There is a message that flitters past me every time I see one.

I had a beautiful view out the window at my painting table when we lived in Hawaii. I had researched butterflies in Hawaii and discovered there were only two indigenous to the islands. But I also saw a lot of monarch butterflies, so I went in search of the plants that would attract these butterflies into the garden area I looked at while I was painting.

The monarch butterflies flocked to my colorful jungle garden. I saw them laying eggs, and I found hundreds of striped, tiny caterpillars. Many of course did not survive and the larger ones who did, stripped the plants bare.

I had a small screened greenhouse where I grew tomatoes and cucumbers. So I also began growing extra plants and soon, when the caterpillars were huge and close to being ready to form their green chrysalis’, I was able to move them to the plants in the green house.

They kept eating, but soon I found them hanging in various places. I watched as they transformed from striped caterpillars into turquoise and gold flecked chrysalis’. Then I waited.

Did you know that when a caterpillar forms it’s cocoon or chrysalis, it actually liquifies? Then, in what can only be a visual miracle from God, that liquid reforms into a butterfly! Is there anything that illustrates a positive transformation better than this?

When the butterflies in my greenhouse emerged, with the help of a little honey water on my fingers, I was able to patiently encourage them to crawl onto my fingers while they stretched and strengthened their wings and enjoyed the honey water with their curly tongues. When they were ready, they flew off my hand and into the garden.

Later, as I painted I would see them flying past the window and eventually, laying eggs for the next round of baby caterpillars and transformation. What a wonder it was to experience this over and over.

Don’t you just love this visual of how a caterpillar goes thru a difficult, bound up experience, transforms and emerges more beautiful and free than it’s ever been?!! The caterpillars could only inch their way from plant to plant. But once they had wings, they appeared to be having the time of their life as they would fly high and low, partaking of all varieties of nectar in the garden, and enjoying the sunshine. This visual is both encouraging and reassuring in my own life.

Is life making you feel trapped right now, like you’re wrapped up in a cocoon and can’t get out? I can tell you, I’ve been there! In fact, as I write this today, I am there once again. And I hate the feeling as much as you do.

But even as I am wrapped up in trials, my insides being scrambled and liquified, I take great comfort in these verses from Isaiah 40.

^"Have you never heard?

Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40: 28-29,31 NLT

Creator of all the earth: think of that miraculous transformation from caterpillar to butterfly - a constant visual of the miracle of creation

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength: Let’s insert “butterflies” for “eagles”. Eagles are big and strong… but those delicate looking butterflies are amazingly strong too!

Not only are these true about the difficult and dark days of our lives here on earth, but there’s an eternal message here as well if we put our trust in Jesus. In our eternal life with him, we will no longer become weak or weary. Our tears will be wiped away. We will run carefree and without hesitation. That fills me with great hope!

Take a deep breath and hang on tight, like the caterpillar in the middle of its transformation. God is bringing about a beautiful, butterfly type of transformation in you. You will find new strength in those beautiful wings of yours.

Has a neighbor, or friend, or family member come up against difficult times too? You can use this story and these verses to encourage them as well. They need your reassurance that through this period of transformation they will come out at the other end more beautiful and free than they ever were. Imagine us all flying around, creating a field full of butterflies!

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The Kamehameha butterflies in this painting are one of only 2 butterflies native to Hawaii. They only lay their eggs on this one plant, a Mamaki (also native to Hawaii). This painting “Reborn” was painted for the Annual Hawaii Nei Art Exhibit and used the following year on their brochures. It features a Mamaki plant I had growing in my garden.

Some stories are also available on YouTube and Spotify as a “Visual Story Podcast”, which is another way you can encourage those around you who are isolated or alone. Links to these podcast can be found on the Home Page.