Imagine What You Will Become
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139: 16 (NIV)
When I was a child, I knew what I wanted to be—a teacher. I lined up all my dolls and played school for hours upon end. My only question was with what age group. I tried various levels and found that pre-school was my favorite. I emerged from the chrysalis (in His timing) to discover my true ability. Eryn Lynum (All God’s Creatures) gives us a butterfly’s view of potential.
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“It’s starting!” My son exclaimed. His attention, mine, and that of his three siblings snapped up from our homeschool studies as we fixed our eyes on the large glass container at the center of our table. Over the past several days, we watched as the chrysalis holding our monarch caterpillar changed from lime green to translucent, revealing a butterfly’s vivid orange-and-black wings. Now, we watched attentively as the chrysalis cracked open and the butterfly pushed itself out into the world. We remembered with wonder how a very different creature had wrapped itself into the chrysalis just over a week before. We thought about the mystery of what took place inside.
In our studies, we had learned how a caterpillar liquifies nearly its entire body and how a special group of cells called imaginal discs forms the new parts of a butterfly.
“Think about God tucking these imaginal disc cells into the caterpillar,” I told my children. “It’s as if He designed the caterpillar with the imaginal discs and said, “Imagine what you’ll become!”
A similar statement runs through my mind as I watch my children while we release the new butterfly into our backyard. Imagine what you’ll become, I think, as we move through our days of learning, growing, and maturing. In many ways, I hear God speaking the same words over me. Even now, with a family and career. He is forming me into the person He planned in my mother’s womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and just as He did for a caterpillar with imaginal discs, God has tucked potential within me that will flourish in time.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Loving Lord, we thank You for the mysteries of life. Help us to ‘Imagine what we’ll become’ with Your help. AMEN.