“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Green, white and black caterpillars crawled up bare, milkweed stems. With three butterfly cages, I kept busy cleaning them out to prevent diseases and also supplied fresh milkweed to the voracious eaters.
Each time I collected bunches of the foliage, I searched for teeny, white eggs and little caterpillars too. With lots of predators such as wasps, bees, and lizards, the population of butterflies in the area had dwindled.
When my town became a Monarch city, I decided to help the gorgeous insects. The time consuming, but rewarding, endeavor brings joy when butterflies are released and soar with the wind.
In my cages, they are sheltered and nourished. Within a few weeks, they move from teeny eggs to magnificent adults as they progress through metamorphoses. Although it is a perfect arrangement for a while, they can’t live permanently in the confined space. They need to spread their wings and enter the outside world.
In our uncertain, often scary, world, it might be tempting to stay secluded, sustained and away from the afflictions and disasters of the world.
Although God protects and nourishes us when we become Christians, we are not promised an easy life. The Bible instructs and leads us in the way we should go. Biblical teaching and fellowship with other Christians give us peace, hope and strength for our journey into society.
Jesus never promised us a trial free life but did promise He would be with us in our difficulties.
With Him as our protector, we can soar and make a difference in the world around us.
Loving Father, we don’t know your plan but trust you to teach and lead us. Amen
