Dare to Fly

Excerpt from 'Dare to Ask', Chapter 2 'Dreams and Destiny'

A few years back, I went to a women’s meeting where the topic being spoken about was the desert. I remember that the speaker went into great detail explaining the extent of the process that a caterpillar goes through in order to transition into its new form – a butterfly. 

Two things about this process really struck me and have remained as strong reminders whenever I see butterflies and caterpillars. Firstly, once a caterpillar has built its cocoon, the process it goes through inside involves it being reduced down to a soup-like consistency of about 50 cells. It is literally taken apart and its cells self-destruct. The reconstruction of this creature takes on a completely different cell structure and transforms it into an entirely new form. The process of essentially being melted down to the bare minimum and then being recreated is a painful and seemingly gruesome one, and yet, it’s something that each and every butterfly we see, goes through. 

What a reflection of what we sometimes have to go through in order for God to truly bring us into the beauty of what He has for us. 

The second thing that hit me about this creature is the struggle it goes through to get out of its cocoon once its transformation has been completed. Not only has it been biologically remade into a new form, it now has to struggle to get out and live! 

The cocoon is made from a strong silk that the caterpillar prepares in its own body and spins around itself, which protects the caterpillar and keeps it safe and contained while undergoing the painful transforming process. However, the butterfly has to use all of its newfound strength to get out of its cocoon. What struck me most about this process is that if the butterfly does not struggle and free itself, it will never be able to fly.  

There will be times when this truth can be applied to our own lives. Times when we have to go through the struggle, pressing on and pushing through, so that we can ‘fly’ as a new creation. 

I encourage you to dare to fly! You have made it through the struggle, now you're ready to fly!