Transformation in Him

By Hazel Holland

  

After I painted this watercolor, I felt God's Spirit 

moving on me to share about how He transforms us...

Have you ever sat and watched a butterfly struggle for several hours to force its body through that tiny hole in a cocoon?  After awhile it seems to stop making any progress at all, and appears that it can go no further... 

I remember the first time I saw this I wanted to help the butterfly get out.  But my grandmother quickly cautioned me that this was not a good thing to do.  I learned that "helping" a butterfly emerge from his cocoon was not a kind thing to do because its body would then remain shriveled and its wings withered.

The wings would never open and expand and become firm.  They would never be able to support the butterfly's body.  The butterfly would spend the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shriveled wings.  It would never be able to fly!

What I did not fully understand as a child is that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get out of it was God's way of strengthening the butterfly's wings.  He was making them ready for flight once the butterfly achieved its freedom from the cocoon.  

The butterfly's struggle to emerge from the cocoon is exactly what is needed for it to become the creature God designed it to be.  It's destiny was never to remain a caterpillar, but to be transformed into a healthy and beautiful butterfly.  

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in life, too.  They make us strong.  If God allowed us to go through life without any obstacles to overcome, we would become weak and crippled.  We would never be able to fly!

So God allows difficulties to cross our path because they provide opportunities for us to grow.  He knows that we will emerge from our struggles far wiser and with a courage born out of pain.  His purpose is for us to live life the way He designed... in freedom.  

Our destiny in Him is never to remain a captive, crippled by fear, but to be transformed into His image.  He has given us wings to fly so that we are free to love others as He has loved us.  Yes, we were born to fly! ♥
 

(Note:  I used wet tissue paper and water soluble wax pastels to create this picture).

Click here to see a larger image of the painting!