The Butterfly Season: It's Not Easy Eating Greens

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This month, the time immediately following the Resurrection, we’ll declare it the Butterfly season.  Why Butterflies?  First, they are symbols of tremendous change in a short time frame.  A butterfly’s life spans the course of about a month, which means there’s little time to be idle.  There is of course also the “butterfly effect” where it’s believed that if one flaps its wing, a hurricane could be created.  Let us be inspired to live a new life this month, during the Butterfly Season.

“There are no short cuts because even when you think you’ve made it or the world says you’ve made it, there is still more work to do. Making it is getting up every day and fighting to remain humble, grateful and to find a bigger purpose or another level to why you are who you are.” Laurieann Gibson

Eat your greens! Many of us heard this command from our parents or guardians when we were little.  Some of us definitely took offense, abhorring the taste of cabbage, kale or broccoli, not understanding how they promote healthy skin, hair and strength, and low blood pressure.  Even Popeye the Sailor man could not convince children of the importance of spinach.  All we could consider then was that the greens were some tedious process that we wanted to avoid.  It seems crazy to think back because these same greens are some of our favorites now.

The main job of those in the caterpillar stage is to eat these greens to get big, healthy and strong.  The leaves are everywhere, like new business partners taking time to develop a business plan, athletes dedicating time to stretch and lift in the weight room or a student planning a time management grid for the pending week.  This stage may seem to have very little action because you can’t see progress, but everything is taking place on the inside.  Here we build confidence, stamina, agility and even develop the craft behind our call.

Taking time to eat the greens means there will be some struggle.  We will be told to wait when we think we are ready.  We will see a glimmering hope of what things could look like, but then have to go back to the drawing board.  We will get jobs or be placed in situations that seem counterproductive to our progress, but it is simply munching.   “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).  We have to be willing to stay at the table just a little longer. The dessert is coming and we don’t want to be stuck trying to get over one hurdle because we didn’t like the taste. All of it is in the name of preparation. 

Consider, this week, that the caterpillar crawls on the ground now, but will fly later, when the time is right.  Let’s bask in the shade – there is much to do soon.  For now, eat up.