The Open Door

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10: 7-10 NIV

For months I kept up with three butterfly cages and eighty-three monarchs hatched successfully. The process is time consuming but rewarding when butterflies take off to flitter around the yard. 

            Recently, I cleaned the cages and had two chrysalises hanging from the top of one of them. A few days later, I noticed the flap on the habitat wasn’t zipped completely but wasn’t concerned until I saw empty chrysalises dangling from the top. No butterflies hung on the mesh. 

            My eyes roamed my enclosed patio. They stopped at the far end near the ceiling.  A monarch clutched the screen above my reach. I tried to entice the new butterfly to latch onto a broom. She did for a couple of inches and then moved up higher. With an alluring flower stuck into the broom, I tried again. No success. 

            Even though she was far from the screen door, I left it open and hoped she would escape to the outside world. If she got out of a tiny opening in the cage, surely, she could fly out of a big door.

            Every hour or so, I checked to see if she had left but she hadn’t. I tried the broom again but that didn’t help either. 

            Since spring, I cleaned cages, supplied milkweed, brought teeny eggs inside and released full grown monarchs. My efforts protected them from predators and ensured a safe environment. Then one time I forgot to zip the opening. 

            Within her larger cage, she was protected from wind, rain and most predators. But there were no blooms to feed her. She could see the world through the screen but couldn’t figure out how to get there. She refused all my attempts of rescue.

            Like my stubborn butterfly, we get stuck in difficult situations. We become entangled in poor choices, addictions, and worldly vices. 

            When God calls and tries to show us a way out, we sometimes run further away and refuse guidance. Enduring the familiar can trap us in unhealthy or dangerous situations. 

            God loves us and wants the best for His children. We need to go to Him. He leaves the door open so we can enter and have an abundant life.  

Loving Father, you love us and want what is best for us. But we must listen and move through Your door as you guide us. Amen.