They looked dead. I almost threw them away thinking they were contaminating the other ones, but I didn't. And now they have wings. One has crooked wings and the other seems kind of stupid. They are painted lady butterflies in my little butterfly cage. The caterpillars are ugly. A picture of the painted lady caterpillar is pictured below:
I received the Uncle Martin Butterfly Habitat and then ordered the caterpillars. When they arrived I was disappointed at their appearance. But as I already wrote, so far two have transformed into butterflies. The other four are still caterpillars not even seeming to be interested in making their chrysalises. But I've found with this process things seem to be dead and then suddenly they aren't.
When the two butterflies were still in their chrysalises their chrysalises fell. They were just lying their amidst the other caterpillars. I thought maybe the caterpillars would eat them (they didn't). That's when I thought they were dead.
So, you can imagine I was quite excited to see two butterflies seemingly suddenly.
When the two butterflies were still in their chrysalises their chrysalises fell. They were just lying their amidst the other caterpillars. I thought maybe the caterpillars would eat them (they didn't). That's when I thought they were dead.
So, you can imagine I was quite excited to see two butterflies seemingly suddenly.
But they aren't acting like I thought butterflies would act. I thought butteflies courageously fight their way out of their ugly chrysalises and then spend time waving their wings back and forth to dry them. And then they'd fly off.
Nope. This isn't happening. Not at all.
They have moved around their little habitat, but they don't seem too bright. They fall into the sugar syrup and just lay in it. Twice I coaxed one of them out of the syrup. I mean that can't be good for their wings to be coated in sticky stuff, could it? Often, the butterflies look dead. So I blow gently on them and get them mad and they flutter around (Shannon gets after me. He says, Would you want a giant blowing air on you?). One of them has crooked wings. I didn't think she'd be able to fly, but I've seen her fly.
I didn't even know I had butterfly expectations. I've been thinking there is something wrong with them because they aren't acting the way I thought they should.
But there is nothing wrong with them. The fault lies with me. I didn't understand butterflies. I still don't, but I've learned a tiny bit. I have to give them time to become the strong butterflies they need to be before they are released.
Don't we do the same thing with people? With children? With friends or fellow Believers? With authority figures? We have expectations of how they should react or respond, and when they don't, if we don't look at the situation carefully, we find fault in the other people and not in us.
We need to do what God calls us to do in other people's lives and leave the results to them and God. He won't tell us usually what He is doing in their lives because we don't need to know. When I was in the Army I had a secret clearance, but even with a secret clearance I didn't know all the secret-level intelligence. It was on a "need-to-know" basis only. If there is something we need to know in someone else's life, God will make sure we know it. Usually though we want to know more than we need to know -- that's when we get kind of nosy and intrusive.
Just because someone looks "dead" from the outside doesn't mean God isn't doing some great things on the inside.
If you live in my area and I didn't see you this morning at church, I have to tell you you missed out on a great Sunday School Lesson. What a great time we had. I love good conversation about the Bible and Jesus and living out this faith! If you are local and don't have a church home, I invite you to come to ours next week. You won't regret it (but if you do have a church home please attend there. You will really encourage your pastor by showing up).
Nope. This isn't happening. Not at all.
They have moved around their little habitat, but they don't seem too bright. They fall into the sugar syrup and just lay in it. Twice I coaxed one of them out of the syrup. I mean that can't be good for their wings to be coated in sticky stuff, could it? Often, the butterflies look dead. So I blow gently on them and get them mad and they flutter around (Shannon gets after me. He says, Would you want a giant blowing air on you?). One of them has crooked wings. I didn't think she'd be able to fly, but I've seen her fly.
I didn't even know I had butterfly expectations. I've been thinking there is something wrong with them because they aren't acting the way I thought they should.
But there is nothing wrong with them. The fault lies with me. I didn't understand butterflies. I still don't, but I've learned a tiny bit. I have to give them time to become the strong butterflies they need to be before they are released.
Don't we do the same thing with people? With children? With friends or fellow Believers? With authority figures? We have expectations of how they should react or respond, and when they don't, if we don't look at the situation carefully, we find fault in the other people and not in us.
We need to do what God calls us to do in other people's lives and leave the results to them and God. He won't tell us usually what He is doing in their lives because we don't need to know. When I was in the Army I had a secret clearance, but even with a secret clearance I didn't know all the secret-level intelligence. It was on a "need-to-know" basis only. If there is something we need to know in someone else's life, God will make sure we know it. Usually though we want to know more than we need to know -- that's when we get kind of nosy and intrusive.
Just because someone looks "dead" from the outside doesn't mean God isn't doing some great things on the inside.
If you live in my area and I didn't see you this morning at church, I have to tell you you missed out on a great Sunday School Lesson. What a great time we had. I love good conversation about the Bible and Jesus and living out this faith! If you are local and don't have a church home, I invite you to come to ours next week. You won't regret it (but if you do have a church home please attend there. You will really encourage your pastor by showing up).
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