The Butterfly Story

I had the pleasure of meeting a friend of a friend whom I have heard so much about... and I have made her my friend now as well. She has a beautiful stylized tattoo behind her right ear - it's a butterfly that is on fire. She told me the story behind the tattoo, and then sent me the written version with all the details.
There are two parts to the story, lessons she learned while in Thailand by herself. She has given me permission to share it with you, so for today's Faith Building Friday here is part one, her Butterfly story:

I was eating my rice for the 9th day in a row here on the Burma border. I'm so sick of rice I am feeding the chickens with it. A beautiful orange and brown butterfly flew next to me and sat right beside me on top of a jar. Its wings were open facing me and we sat in silence for awhile as I thought how strange it was that it was so close to me finally I broke the silence, said hello and told it how Johnny had told me this Thailand journey was my “becoming a butterfly trip” it started moving its wings slowly open and close. Then it shut them completely and I saw the outside of the wings were dull, they looked like dirt, an obvious design of Gods for it's protection. I asked it if it was hard to go from a caterpillar to a butterfly. As I asked it that question I remembered a book I had borrowed from a monk in Phuket, I had just read the night before where it mentioned this very thing.

An earthbound caterpillar turns into a beautiful winged creature with virtually no resemblance to its earlier form. During the metamorphosis from caterpillar to adult, all the caterpillars organs are melted, liquefied, providing energy for the next stage of development. Nothing remains of its earlier form. Pg 90Self transformation thru music-Crandoll

The butterfly opened its wings and faced me. I tried to imagine this creature so graceful and beautiful as a once liquefied, awkward worm. I breathed a sigh of relief - there is hope for me. We sat again in silence, me drawing encouragement from her transformation. A beautiful lesson was taught to me without words, hope was breathed into me without movement. I continued to watch her and I saw how when she kept her wings closed tightly she was dull, boring, blended in with her surroundings. She was safe that way but something startled her and she opened her wings, displaying the intricate graceful design God had painted on her by His own hand during her time of transformation in the cocoon, and she took flight.

Another lesson in silence from my butterfly - Open up. Display Gods handiwork in your life. Take flight. She was gone but the lesson continued… She had been given wings but had to be constricted in the cocoon for God to hold her still so her growth would be complete and in her stillness He would paint her vibrant, colorful wings of triumph, her symbol and banner to carry and remind all that an awkward lowly worm can take flight on wings of majestic beauty if only it surrenders to the Creators plan.

May her story encourage you. May you rest in His hands as He remakes you and may you Open up and display your glory!