There's More to Come

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.''  - Maya Angelou

The day we realize that life isn't everything we wish it were is the day we start to find the path to maneuver through and still find joy.  It takes some longer than others to make this wise discovery and unfortunately, some never quite get there.  I know I've not got it all under my feet but I'm thankful I'm on the path to finding more joy each day.

We all go through hardship, trials, misunderstanding and struggle with circumstances in our lives that are beyond our control.  Some are more painful than others as they reach closer to our hearts while others just create frustration and aggravation.  They all affect us in some way though and none of it is pleasant to go through.  The ones I want to talk about however are the deep dark cocoons that we find ourselves in...the ones that heartache is present and we struggle trying to find the truths in the midst of our pain.  We struggle through trying to hear the voice of God and the direction He wants for us.

The thing I find interesting about the butterfly is that "he" was created to do a little bit of his life as one type of being and then to go into a place of darkness for a period of time.  The butterfly spends the first part of life as a caterpillar eating and sleeping until it reaches a time where things begin to change and he decides to cocoon himself into darkness at which point things start to take place and change begins.  Now, I don't know about you but I don't think I'd make a very good caterpillar.  I don't necessarily like change and I don't like the thought of living in the dark.  I like to be in control of my circumstances and if I couldn't see the end outcome, I wouldn't be the one to voluntarily encapsulate myself hoping that I was going to turn into something beautiful.  So, like you, things happen in life and although we don't like it, we unwillingly enter into darkness because there is more that we can become and the process begins.

What happens to each of us in the time of darkness is different and we each have different things we go through in learning, sharpening, feeling and experiencing so that we can become more of what we were created to be.  During these times it is pertinent to remember that there is more to come.  We need to do what we must during this process as painful or frustrating as it may be, in order to survive and eventually break free of our cocoon so we can become more.  Not because we want to but because in order to survive, we have to.  In your darkness, don't forget to pack hope, praise and bit of joy into the cocoon with you!

''There's more to come:  We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.  In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged.  Quite the contrary-we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!''  Romans 5:3-5 MSG 

Blessings!

Missy

Butterfly Image courtesy of Ana Cole:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SolhfulPhotography