No Matter Where You Go...

I remember my husband telling me how someone once told him, "no matter where you go, there you are." Did you read that correctly? No matter where you go, there you are. 

You Can Run, AND You Can Hide.

You know the saying about running and being unable to hide...I actually believe that you have the ability to hide. Not only can you run away and hide very good, but you can hide for very long. Let's take this and put in into perspective when it comes to your life. I came from a place we will just name "Gloom-hamton"...that's right--GLOOM. I felt like this almost every other day, and if not every other day, AT LEAST once a week. Not to say it was a horrible place, although I have made it sound like it, I just felt that way living there. I said to myself, only if I could just escape this place then my life would be so much better. I was blaming other people for my misery, even distancing myself from the ones who cared and loved me the most.

If you don't like where you are in life, change it.

Easy enough, right? The issue here is that we are constantly trying so hard to change our life, the people in our lives, and the things surrounding us. We are so focused on the problem around us that we don't even recognize that there is actually a bigger problem that lives within us. I can't even begin to dive into the times and experiences that I have regarding packing up and moving out of my home state, just to find out I was still unhappy and shortly moved back. The problem wasn't necessarily entirely where I lived, but it was where the problem lived. And I failed to spend time trying to fill myself with enough things that was going to help me grow and blossom, instead I tried to cover up my empty spaces.

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Read it...entirely...and maybe read it again. BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT.

Eggs are laid on a leaf and in 5 days a worm-like animal is hatched; a caterpillar. They look odd, some are fuzzy and many have an array of bright fun colors and patterns. They come out starving and they begin to eat the leaf it was born on. They don't stop eating either. They eat and eat and fill themselves with lots of good nutrients that they need, so they grow and they grow very fast. They grow so fast, their skin can't stretch anymore so they shed its old skin and get brand new skin. They shed at least 4 times, if not more and they don't stay in this stage for very long because they constantly are filling themselves with food. When it is done growing, it then makes a chrysalis, what many of you know as a cocoon. The cocoon is usually brown or green, matching the food that the caterpillar ate during that stage of their life. This is all for protection from being hurt by other animals.

This is the resting stage. This is the stage of transformation. Its shape starts to change and it begins to look different. This change happens quickly and the caterpillar undergoes all of this while inside its cocoon. It doesn't take very long until the cocoon opens and a beautiful butterfly emerges. 

Just because the butterfly is now free, does not mean that it starts flying right away. Its wings are damp still and very soft. The NOW butterfly has to REST...again! It took a lot of work during the transformation, and it has been made new, but it is very tired. Once it has rested, blood starts pumping into its wings to get them flapping and working. The butterfly now has to learn to fly. It doesn't automatically take off soaring and exploring freely. It can't fly good at first, but with a lot of practice, the butterfly learns quickly and FINALLY it is out soaring freely. It looks for a mate, lays eggs and the cycle begins again.

So...why did I just receive a first grade class lesson?

My friends...YOU are the caterpillar. I seen this vision, one where I was born in what soon seemed like a gloomy place. I used excuses to feed me and I never was able to transform. I ran off to look for better "food" just to learn that I hadn't even fed myself enough to grow out of my old skin. I did this over and over until I decided to move once again and now I started feeding myself with accountability, positive affirmations from the word of God, and prayer. The more I did it, the more I grew. The old skin started to shed. More would grow back but I persisted and the old kept shedding and a new me kept emerging. I was feeling great until I had a day where I felt stuck. I felt that gloom again, I felt a sense that I really had no idea what I was doing in life. I felt encapsulated, like the cocoon, by my emotions. I didn't stop filling myself with the good, despite my struggles. And I rested knowing God is taking care of everything. Little did I know, even in this place, I was transforming. I hadn't noticed, but my external had the appearance of strength and courage, like the caterpillar, I was blending in with what I was "eating"...The word of God covered me, protected me and reflected strength. My cocoon opened...I emerged, feeling renewed, I had new ideas new plans and a new mindset. I still ended up with weak moments, but this is when I realized my overwhelmed mind, body and soul needed more rest in this renovated version of me. Soon, before you know it, after you have dealt with sometime in the darkness and really digging deep into who you think you are and who you were made to be, you will breakthrough! Your breakthrough will happen but you will not be exempt from any more struggle. It's kind of what following Jesus looks like. Sometimes you will hurdle over your obstacles, but a lot of times you will trip over them. These are the times I will rest, talk to God, and practice what I need to do to overcome. In no time, you will begin to fly and you will need to keep practicing, but it won't take long before you get it and are set free. 

The life of a butterfly can directly reflect where we are in life. We all start somewhere. Use the resources where you live to help you grow. Feed yourself good things, and don't stop! You will continue to grow, and you will notice a period of stagnation. Maybe you're here today, but I am letting you know that this is where your transformation begins. REST and know that you are being looked after and taken care of. You are so close to receiving your breakthrough, so start practicing how you are going to fly, because before you know it you will be set free soaring!