Butterfly
When was the last time you came upon a caterpillar?
Did you admire it for what it was, or imagine what it will become?
Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand, so are a few years among the days of eternity. That is why the Lord is patient with them and pours out his mercy upon them. He sees and recognizes that their end is miserable; therefore he grants them forgiveness all the more. - Sirach 18:10-12
In today's reading, we get a glimpse of how God sees us.
Because we are but brief moments in time, His time which is eternal, God is forgiving. He bestows upon us grace and love, accepting us for what we are more than what we could become.
But just as we rejoice in the beautiful transformation of the caterpillar into the butterfly, imagine how God feels when we turn and become what we were designed to be.
I think one thing that makes us unique among all God's creation is that age alone is not the main determinant of our maturity. We don't just become the beautiful creatures we are intended to be. We need to work at it.
I am not talking about outer beauty or any physical attributes at all, but inner, spiritual growth that leads us to the wisdom and understanding of our special place in this world and in God's Kingdom.
When we fail to make the journey from caterpillar to butterfly, we remain children, easily influenced by all forms of evil that lurk in this world. We take up violence as a means of showing the world we are strong, when inside we are frightened and empty souls looking for a way to justify our short existence.
When I look at it that way, I can bring myself to pray for those lost and empty souls that seem to be on a path that will keep them from ever blooming into the beautiful creatures God wants them to be.
Then again, who am I to judge?
God doesn't give up on his creation. He waits.
So, no matter how much we age, or how far we venture down the wrong path, there is still hope that we could turn around and see God smiling at us - even if we committed all sorts of evil.
Look at Saul who became Paul.
So, for all who are struggling to transform, we pray, and we hope others are praying for us. Let us all choose to become what God sees in us. And fly!
More to come...