March 13, 2003

As winter ends and the weather begins to warm, the clear skies and the sun pulls us out into the emerging world of summer.

Flowers have pushed their way up through the topsoil and the tender leaves are sprouting on the dead limbs of winter.

The changing seasons reminds me that we no longer need our protective cocoon. Nothing illustrates this more than the beautiful butterflies who spread their wings and fly. They have emerged from their cocoon to a life transformed.

The caterpillar was limited to crawling slowly from leaf to leaf. Now it's world has opened and it is no longer bound to the area it could crawl to.

Too often we live in a cocoon of what we consider "safe." Our comfort zone. To the caterpillar, life is okay. There are branches to climb and leaves to eat. However, to the observer who can see the whole picture, the caterpillar's life is extremely limited.

Our comfort zone limits us in the same way the caterpillar is limited. The vision of the caterpillar is limited to a few feet around it. It cannot even imagine life beyond his vision.

The caterpillar is blessed. God has provided through nature, a pathway to transformation. The caterpillar will become a butterfly.

We too, are blessed.

We too, have been given a pathway to transformation.

God has provided a wonderful opportunity of transformation for each of us through a personal relationship with His son, Jesus Christ.

For us, this happens by choice.

Saint Paul clearly identified this pathway to transformation in his letter to his friends in Rome. "...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9).

Saint Paul spoke with passion, because he had personally walked that pathway.

Why not spread your wings and embrace life?