The Middle Part Hurts

Last night I found myself pining for my husband, crying out to God to grant my one and only Christmas wish - that this job would be complete and my family could be reunited. I find myself with deep longing and gut-wrenching, throat-balling emotional pain about a month after we've been apart. Or less. Every time he visits.

This morning, my pastor talked about transformation. He mentioned that it's in the middle of transformation that we become uncomfortable and things get tough.

Which brought me to consider, yet again, the butterfly. I thought about how it's a three-step process. First, the caterpillar. He's a simple creature who enjoys eating through leaves. He feeds so he can grow big and strong. He then morphs into a chrysalis, where he remains wrapped up tight for his transformation process. Once the process is complete, he presents himself in a new form, as a beautiful butterfly.

When we know that God is about to do something amazing in our lives, we enjoy the moment. We read our Bibles with a hunger we've never known before, wanting to be strong in our faith as we head toward the transformation we're certain is on its way.

Next comes the hard part. This is where we become uncomfortable, because things get tight around us. Things start happening that we have no control over. Things try to hinder us, try to get in the way of what we hope God is still doing. We question. We wonder. We falter and try not to faint in the day of adversity. We struggle to remain strong.

This is when the thought struck me. What we should be doing is remembering to remain wrapped up tight in the cocoon of God's love for us, rather than struggling against the process. It's only in His enduring love that the process of transformation can come to completion. It's only in His love that we can become what He has chosen for us to be.

When we allow the process to have its fiery work, we come out like the butterfly. We are changed into His glorious work and able to fly.

So if you're in the uncomfortable process of transformation today, remember: "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it..." (Phil. 1:6)