Metamorphosis

Today's theme is metamorphosis:

Today is the day that I do something unexpected, in an amazing way.

Today I take a leap of faith, knowing that I will land in God's hands;

Today I acknowledge that there is no need to hold on to beliefs and behaviours that no longer reflect the person I really am;

Today I take ownership of my purpose;

Today I evict the negative people who live in my mind rent-free;
Today is the day that I do something unexpected, in an amazing way. 

~ Jan C

According to Wikipedia, the word metamorphosis can be defined as a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.

The word "metamorphosis" derives from Greek μεταμόρφωσις, "transformation, transforming".

Yesterday, I blogged about choosing whether to continue living a life of confusion, bitterness, fear, pain, disappointment and unhappiness, or “manning up” (Janning up?) and putting an end to all that is dragging me down. I concluded that it is time to release my lifelong companions Jan A and Jan B with love, accepting that their time here is come to an end and Jan C is slowly but surely transforming into a beautiful woman, a true reflection of God’s design.

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?  Well, perhaps, when I am finally ready to unfold my wings and take flight, it will be, but I am finding the process to be painful and exhausting. At the same time, I am compelled to move ahead, instinctively knowing that this is my destiny, not to be questioned, nor to be denied. I am feeling unfamiliar sensations of faith, hope and love. I am experiencing self-love which is completely different from selflessness, selfishness or me, myself and I. Self-love is a reflection of Christ’s love for me.  I am seeing in myself that which He sees in me. I am beautiful. Praise God. Thank You God!

Let us consider the Monarch butterfly.  Aptly named, the Monarch butterfly is best known for her regal and brightly coloured orange wings, interlaced with black veins and surrounded by a wide, black border marked with numerous white dots. Like the adult, the fully-grown monarch caterpillar is a beauty onto herself, possessing bold, yellow, black and white bands over the entire surface of her 5 centimetre body. During metamorphosis, the caterpillar forms a lime-green chrysalis, marked with gold spots and a black, horizontal band edged with gold. Interestingly, the colours of the Monarch serve to protect her by warning predators that she is poisonous if eaten, and serves a camouflage when she needs to take rest. 

When she first hatches, the Monarch caterpillar’s instinct is to find nourishment.  She eat’s. She eats a lot! Although she is not consciously  aware of her destiny, she instinctively prepares for her inevitable transformation from a fuzzy little creature limited to crawling along milkweed plants, seeking her next meal; to pupating by enclosing herself inside of a cocoon where she proceeds to stitch, weave and transform herself into a beautiful butterfly.  All of which takes place in 6 – 8 weeks.  A nanosecond in God’s time, but a lifetime to a butterfly.

I liken myself to the beautiful Monarch butterfly.  I was born, and have been feeding on my environment, taking in the thoughts, words, and deeds of the world around me as nourishment. I’ve been crawling along, seeking the moment where I can finally transform into the person God designed me to be.  But there’s a transformational process that requires me to take a time out, put  myself in a safe place where I must do the hard work of taking apart the pieces that no longer work and creating new fragments and elements that when combined, according to God’s intricate design, will become a masterpiece.

As adults, the Monarch butterfly seeks out beautiful flowers, to feed on their sweet nectar, which sustains and strengthens her in preparation for migration to other parts of the world.  She dips down onto bodies of water to take a drink and seeks the shade of trees when she needs to rest. She does all of this instinctively, in order to follow her destiny, which was planned long before she was a twinkle in her butterfly daddy's eye.  She has no need to question the plan, she simply goes with the program, without fear, reservation or question.

I am a child of God.  He created me with a purpose.  However, unlike our beautiful butterfly friend , He gave me free will.  I am allowed to question the Big Plan and insert my will accordingly. Not that my will is necessarily well thought-out or based on sound judgement. My will is vulnerable to misinterpretation of data, can be easily swayed by false idols and consequently can lead me down some dark paths.  Sooner or later, God brings me to to an awareness that His plan, His Will for me is Divine, mine is flawed and therefore, by my own free will, I understand that His Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  

I get it! I get it!  Took me long enough, but God you have my attention.  I admit that I have been wilful, stubborn, even lazy at times, preferring the material to the Divine.  Please forgive me and take me through this transformation according to Your will. 

I have prayed for you to surround me with a hedge of angels and You have been merciful. I thank you for the angels named Hima and Shibani  that you have recently brought into my life.  Thank you for the many angels you have blessed me with throughout my life. I pray for Your protection as I go through this transformation, and place myself and the people I love in Your hands for safekeeping in the meantime.

Amen.

It's me, Jan