Did you ever have a chance to get curious about the lifecycle of a caterpillar? Maybe the last time you got curious was when you were in the 3rd grade. All we know is that a caterpillar will go on different stages before becoming a butterfly. But did you also know that there’s something we can learn from its lifecycle? Oh and also we can apply that in life. Here it goes.
If you would be given a chance to choose which insect are you going to be, which one are you going to choose? Are you going to choose the caterpillar or a strong and mighty beetle who’s considered as one of the strongest insects? If you would think of the caterpillar’s life, it seems like it’s hard to be one.
The Life of A Caterpillar
From now on, let’s remove the other insects in the context first and focus on the caterpillar itself. Caterpillar is probably one of the slowest insects in the pack. Being a caterpillar, you will go on different leaves, crawl with your 6 legs through the ground or up in the leaves or trees just to find food to survive.
Of course, there comes a time when it is raining, a caterpillar can be easily drowned because a single drop of rain is already huge for them to take in. Their eggs can also be destroyed by the rain if it’s not kept securely. A caterpillar can’t go anywhere if it’s raining. They are stuck hiding in some woods or leaves to avoid being flushed away.
Once the rain has stopped, they are now free again to roam around the place. They can now see the beauty of life. Enjoy the sunlight that touches their skin. Feel the winds going through their faces. They can also see the other insects crawling around and flying around.
While roaming around, enjoying the beauty of life. It’s hard not to notice how other insects are crawling fast and flying around. Like a caterpillar, you will wonder, “would I be able to crawl that fast or fly around like them?”. An interesting thought from a caterpillar who doesn’t know if it’s possible.
Like the wonder of that caterpillar, are we also asking ourselves if we can become like them?
At some point in our life, we want to have what others have. The skills, achievements and sometimes everything.
Fearing The Unknown
As the caterpillar moves on with its life. Thinking and still wondering if the time it can crawl fast or fly around will ever come… The caterpillar doesn’t know that there will be a time where it will enter another stage. A stage where it will be uncomfortable and dark. The caterpillar will be alone and won’t be able to move anywhere.
This time, the caterpillar will now enter its pupa stage (Chrysalis). A pupa stage is the most interesting stage as in this stage it will go through a remarkable transformation.
As a caterpillar, when this time comes, you don’t have any idea what is going on. You will be in an uncomfortable and dark place. You won’t be able to see the beauty of life. You won’t be able to enjoy the sunlight that touches your skin. You won’t be able to feel the winds through your faces. You won’t be able to see other insects anymore. And worse is, you don’t know when it will stop.
If we will put our own shoes to the caterpillar being around the silk, would you enjoy it? If we will to ask a caterpillar about this stage, most probably it will say that it’s fine, it will just stay on its current form. It will also say that its current form is already fine. It can enjoy the beauty of life. Enjoy the sunlight that touches its skin. Feel the winds that go through its faces. See other insects crawling and flying around. Life’s good already, why do I have to go through that? It’s uncomfortable and dark.
Bringing It All Together
The caterpillar doesn’t know that the pupa stage is where life gets beautiful. This is the time where it will reach its full length and weight or who it was created to be.
Just like the caterpillar go through the pupa stage, we also go through our own pupa stage version. The process is merely the same. We go through an uncomfortable and dark season of our life. We can’t avoid or skip it. It will come to us because it will transform us into whom we were created to be.
Don’t be discouraged by the process. Being in the pupa stage is not an easy stage. It’s easy to quit and give up because it’s uncomfortable. We are surrounded by the dark. Our faith and light can’t be seen. That’s OK. Everyone goes through their own pupa stage. But it’s not OK to continue having the caterpillar mindset. The mindset of being afraid of the transformation and trying to resist it. Rather, have a new perspective that whenever you are in an uncomfortable situation, help yourself up that this is just a temporary season and it’s a pupa stage. Remind yourself that this season will help me reach my full length and weight or whom I was created to be. Avoid having the caterpillar mindset, allow God to transform you to your chosen destiny.
From the outside, you may look like you are resting. But deep down inside is where all the action is happening. You are rapidly changing. Nothing goes on our life by a mistake. God wouldn’t say that “oh, I didn’t see that coming.”. No, that’s not true. God is still in control of our life. He knows what type of season we need to go through in life to be who were created to be. He is still on the throne.
Don’t be discouraged by the process. It’s all working for your own good. It may be uncomfortable and dark but don’t give up. Keep believing that your wings are coming. Keep believing that after this season, you will become the butterfly whom you were created to be. You will soar higher than before. You will reach new places that will make you awe. Your life will go on a remarkable transformation. We can’t be who we needed to be if we don’t go through a remarkable transformation. Keep believing! Your wings are coming!
May you reach your dreams.
