The Real Butterfly Effect

“Look, Mimi!” my four-year-old grandson trumped as he and his dad marched into the kitchen. My son Matt held a large pickle jar stuffed with milkweed leaves up to my face so that I could peer in. “Oh! Did you find a Monarch caterpillar?” I asked trying to match his enthusiasm. In truth I was probably as excited as he was for indeed there was not just one but two of the black and yellow striped crawlers.


It had been many years since I had shared in the wonderment of the metamorphosis stages of this beautiful butterfly. When my children were little, every autumn we would hunt for a Monarch caterpillar. It was a family tradition. Even today the process continues to amaze me. As many believers probably do upon finding one, I automatically think of Romans 12:1-2 KJV~ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [metamorphoo-to change into another form; transform] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.


The entire family was enthralled with the new crawler-vision displayed on the kitchen counter. Munch, munch, munch. The two creepers seemed to be in a race to see who could eat the most. The smaller caterpillar (I’ll call Beta) went into chrysalis mode overnight attaching itself to one of the leaves. “Why did she stop eating so soon?” I wondered to myself, for she was almost half the size of her jar mate. As Alpha (my name for the bigger worm) continued to devour another entire stem of milkweed greenery, I could not help but be concerned about Beta. A lesson was forming in my spirit and mind. You know—one of those old teachings that the Spirit of the Lord desires to re-instill, but somehow it goes deeper than when you first learned it.

Finally, Alpha did her magic and hung upside down onto a horizontal stick and formed her chrysalis.


My family and I were surprised when a few days later Alpha’s gold-speckled celadon case became transparent revealing the trademark black markings of the Monarch.
Although Beta had cocooned first, Alpha was transforming sooner. Beta’s tiny chrysalis remained pale green with only a smudge of grey showing. I wondered if she was going to live or not.

Matt took the marvelous pickle jar display out to the back deck with the rest of the crew following. He wanted to let the morning sun welcome Alpha into the great outdoors. The chill of the morning ushered us back into the house. At lunchtime we were happy to see Alpha had broken through the chrysalis shell and was hanging upside down showing off her new wings. She didn’t move much, though, for it was too cold to flap her wings; so she remained in the jar to allow the sun to dry them. Beta looked the same. Would she ever emerge?

The next day I peeked out the window just at the right time. “Alpha is spreading her wings!” I announced. We tumbled out the back door. Matt slipped his finger under Alpha and lifted her up out of the jar. She had truly transformed into the largest most magnificent Monarch butterfly I had ever seen.


Immediately she stretched her wings and fluttered to the nearby ornamental pear tree. Beta, I was glad to see, had made progress showing the black and orange through her pupa. Maybe she would make it, I hoped.

When Beta did finally hatch, her wings were crumpled. They never straightened out.


Matt tenderly placed her onto one of the blossoms of the butterfly bush that grew tall enough to overhang our back deck. I checked on her a couple of hours later and she was gone. Did a bird find her? Did a breeze cause her to fall to the ground?

Our Creator makes lessons evident in that which He created all around us.
For what can be known about God is plain to them [men], because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Rom 1:19-20 ESV

The transforming stages of the butterfly reminded me of how we need to hungrily pursue renewing our mind—putting on the mind of Christ everyday. It is only as we diligently seek Him that we are transformed. When the enemy comes at us, the battle always begins in our minds.


Without taking every thought captive to Christ, as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, our fleshly thoughts take precedence and we falter. When we walk by the flesh, it is like being bound to the earth with crumpled wings.

Rom 8:11 KJV - But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 KJV - Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13 KJV - For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 KJV - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 KJV - For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

As we walk by the Spirit, we glorify God. We FLY! Rom 8:18 KJV - For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

There are many lessons He teaches through the life of this majestic butterfly. Too many for one posting. From this let us learn we should not hesitate to bask in the loving presence of the Son in the secret place, and as the wind of the Spirit lifts us ~

Let us not be afraid to FLY!