The divine process of transformation.
The first time I experienced the sensation of being in a cocoon was when I was in the hospital being wheeled back from having an MRI done on my brain. The attendant was so gentle and caring with me that I very much felt loved. Before starting down the hallway, he took the time to get a heated blanket and wrap it around me snuggly from neck down. I realized the physical sensation I felt was that I was wrapped so tightly, warmly, and safely that it was if I was in a cocoon, protected from vulnerability while being in a compromised condition. As we were going down the corridor, I noticed a beautiful picture of a butterfly on the wall - I immediately connected with it. Would this journey I was starting on accomplish the needed transformation? I sensed that this change that would happen from the inside out wasn’t going to be an easy one - it was going to be a process that would probably require difficulty and struggle. After all, this transformation would effectually change everything about me - how I think, how I act, how I speak - just as a caterpillar emerges completely different, I also had the potential to emerge as an entirely new and beautiful creature. But not without struggle. I’ve no need to fear though, because I have an incredible sense that I’ll be protected during this process. A process that promises to make me stronger, more patient, loving and compassionate, as well as able to withstand life’s difficulties better. Yes, that’s what pain and struggle does - it makes us stronger.
Now I want to give you some insight into the process a caterpillar goes through while turning into a beautiful butterfly. See if you can recognize some parallels.
The process of transforming from a caterpillar into a butterfly isn’t as simple as just growing a few pairs of wings and maybe transforming a few parts of its body.
The change that takes place during the time the creature is in the cocoon is actually quite extreme and gruesome.
Everything about the caterpillar changes - how it eats, it’s shape, how it moves, and how it senses.
The hardened chrysalis (what the cocoon is called) essentially serves as a container holding everything together as the caterpillar digests its own body. Enzymes break down tissues which then dissolve into a liquid mass within the chrysalis.
The process entails parts of the caterpillar that are eaten away, leaving it with only the essential parts that will be needed to allow the butterfly to emerge.
Did I mention extreme and gruesome?
Have any of you been through an extreme or gruesome situation?
Is it possible the struggle you had to endure has the potential to make you more beautiful?
So, something interesting I found out - a caterpillar and a butterfly are the same. They both belong to the same species, they are just at different stages in their life.
One has gone through a very difficult process of transformation that allowed it to emerge more mature.
Points worth considering:
The change happens from the inside out.
It’s a process that’s difficult and time consuming.
Struggle is part of it - we don’t just “let it happen.”
The goal of transformation is to get rid of nonessentials. (Things we don’t need in our life.)
The hard shell or protective covering hides what’s happening on the inside - until enough brokenness or pressure takes place to then reveal the treasure within.
After the transformation, we’re a new creature - we don’t look or act the same.
