Our yard is filled with butterflies. All kinds. Small. Big.
And lots of colors! I guess it figures since during this rainy season I have
seen many a caterpillar mosey-ing along. Last Saturday, as we were all outside
doing our weekly washing, one landed on Peter’s shoulder and stayed! I was
amazed. He walked right up to me with it still sitting on his shoulder, saying
“Look Auntie Leslie!”
I tell you all of this, in the midst of having our first
short-term team here, for two reasons. Reasons that I needed to hear,
understand, process and evaluate in my own life. Yes … this is one of Leslie’s
philosophical moments. Ha ha!
Reason #1. The
butterflies had been flying around our yard for at least a few days before I
saw the one sitting on Peter’s shoulder. But it took him saying, “Look” for me
to actually see. Sometimes that really bothers me about myself. It isn’t until
someone points something out to me that an understanding, a dawning happens in
my brain. As if my eyes were not comprehending the world around me prior to the
aforementioned “Look!” And I guess the only word for that is self-centeredness.
YIKES! Now that is something to sit down, reflect, take the time to process and
understand and then take steps to change, isn’t it? Sometimes, I just need a
small little reminder to stop. Look. I was just glad this time that reminder
came in the form of butterflies.
Reason #2.
Caterpillars are pretty cute if you look at them. They could happily stay that
way forever, I’m sure. They have their needs met. They get plenty to eat. Of
course, I’m guessing on this. I have not actually interviewed one, but I can
only imagine that their simple little life is just fine with them. But then
something happens. They start the cocoon. And suddenly are thrust into the
world as a new creation! Not crawling, but flying. Not colorless, but colorful.
Something brand new. I can only imagine what they are thinking in their little
cocoons, but to be able to come out and see the world as only a butterfly can,
it really must be something. It’s the greatest analogy to becoming a follower
of Christ. We are all called to something greater when we enter this world.
Life can be going along and then you hear it … Jesus is calling you. By name.
To quit crawling in the muck and the mire and to fly! I’m ever more aware of
this since being in Uganda. I see Jesus in these beautiful faces, soulful eyes
and joyful smiles looking back at me. I see new creations, flying. They way
they were created to fly. It’s a precious thing. One we should all remember!
As I write this from my “New Creation Family Home”
(appropriately named, don’t you think?), I can only smile as I think of these
kids and the new creations they have become. They were beautiful before they
arrived, but now they can fly!
I have to examine myself, because sometimes, I go back to
crawling. Breathing in the dirt and grime and forgetting that I was created,
that I was called to something greater. That I too can fly because I’m a new
creation. And I’m praying that the kids (and adults) we meet in these next 2
weeks will want to fly too.
