A Revisit to Biology Class
After a recent trip to the local science museum, I have become even more enamored with butterflies. I don’t know if I was asleep during biology class or I missed the day we reviewed the life cycle, but hearing the museum guide talk about the life span of a mature butterfly caused my jaw to drop.
If you’re like me and need a little refresher course, join me.
According to National Geographic and Smithsonian Kids, there are four stages that must be completed before we see the beautiful, often brightly colored butterflies that hover close to our flower gardens. The first stage is the egg. A female butterfly will lay her egg often on a leaf and the time it takes for hatching depends on the species. Some are within a few days to weeks and others take more time if the weather is on the cooler side.
Stage two is the caterpillar. Lots of growth happens in this stage as the caterpillar sheds its skin and grows up to 100x its size at first hatch. Growth takes place over several weeks. Stage three is the pupa or “chrysalis” in which the caterpillar wraps itself up a hardened shell in which it then begins to grow wings and forms a body, and the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly over one to two weeks. Once the butterfly is transformed, that is the fourth and final stage. The butterfly initially has wet wings and must let their wings dry out before taking flight. It’s amazing that the insect knows just when the time is right, much like a bird leaving the nest.
The whole process of changing, molding, and growing is called metamorphosis. Yes, I had to spell check that a few times. The butterfly underwent much change, and it didn’t happen overnight. I know firsthand, how long this process can take because our family decided to grow our own butterflies at home. We purchased a kit from National Geographic and requested our caterpillars from Carolina Biologic, where they were safely delivered to our home. We watched every day for what appeared to be small changes. I say “we” loosely, because even though I showed everyone who entered my home, I can easily say I was the one who was most excited about these little critters.
As many of you know, I am not the most patient person, and this task was like no other. I wanted quick results. I wanted it to be finished before it got started! But realizing the importance of slowing down and watching even what is a small, minor change, is fascinating and important. Each step matters in the process. You can’t skip stage 2 and go right to a butterfly. It won’t work. Each stage is dependent on the previous.
As is with life, isn’t it? We cannot blink and be finished with college. We cannot blink and be married with three children. We cannot blink and be retired. We cannot blink and the cancer go away. We cannot blink and have the bills paid for us. Though it feels as if life moves quicker than ever these days, we still must put in the work. We cannot skip summer heat unless we pick up and move to Alaska. We cannot skip out on winter unless we move to Florida, and even then, you’ll probably have some less-than-ideal cooler mornings than you’d like to have. We can try as hard as we’d like to sail through untouched by change, but we will still come up short.
God has a plan behind every season. Behind every stage of life we go through there is a purpose. A patient told me recently that “I just keep smiling and I can handle whatever comes.” Our journeys often are full of many twists and turns. We have highs and we experience lows, but the low times will never last. The grief may remain, but we learn to keep putting one foot in front of the other as we put a smile on our face and choose to keep living.
I was shocked to learn that a mature butterfly, those we typically see flying around our gardens, will only live a couple of weeks. My jaw about hit the ground. I surely thought they were around longer. It goes to show that God created the butterfly for a distinct purpose. A specific time. A destined season. The same is true with us. We were created for such a time as this. This day, we are positioned on earth for a divine purpose and with a goal to be the light of Christ to those in a hurting world. May we live knowing that we are here for such a short time, but to live making the most of that time. Not taking for granted a single day or moment yet living with a heart full of gratitude for all the many blessings we have been given. There’s too much good to let a day go by without giving thanks, even when life is hard.
Colossians 2:6-8
So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.
Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.
