"For I am going to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun." Isaiah 43:19
If we read the whole verse of Isaiah 43 we see that God says He will, "again" deliver the Israelites. They will go through another exodus through a new wilderness. They are assured that past miracles will not compare to the miracles God will do for them, in this brand new thing.
I love butterflies, they seem so symbolic of so many beautiful happenings to me. They signify a new birth. As I have written before, I actually saw butterflies where there should have been none. So, my heart and soul are touched by one of God's most beautiful creations.
As the butterfly goes through the stage of egg, larval caterpillar, inactive pupal stage and then the glorious metamorphosis, we see a birth of beauty.
The ending of another year fast approaches and we wait in anticipation for a new beginning, a new thing, or a new "birth" of ourselves. Perhaps we might see miracles more beautiful than the past miracles in our own lives.
We make promises to ourselves that we will do thus and so in the new year. If any are like me, I seem to slip a lot in the resolutions I make and never seem to accomplish everything I so desire.
If we can imagine ourselves as the butterfly we can see that we, too, go through stages in life. Of course, we all are fed by our mothers before our human birth. We forged, so to speak, in the womb. In the beginning of our lives, those nine months, we were in an inactive pupal stage. As we grew, month to month, the more active we became, waiting to "spread our wings" into a beautiful metamorphosis.
Then, life begins with the cycles we go through. Sometimes those cycles bring us into the dark places of life. That is when we must be ever watchful to begin a new life, washing off the grime of sin. We must start over again, talking and listening to God as we grow through our years.
Hopefully, we will approach life's end, knowing that there is another rebirth, not death. My soul feels this way, whether it be the answer, I do not know. I only have faith to know that as long as I live I will go through many stages and have many more metamorphosis' s. The final birth will be the spreading of my spiritual wings on my journey home to God.
So, God has given us another new year in which to begin the whole process of re-birth. What are we going to do with that beautiful gift of another chance to get it right? Are we going to continue on with our sinful choices, putting ourselves first above all else? Or are we going to take a step back and look around us and see what we can do to encourage rebirths in others who are lost in the wilderness? It is up to all of us to make the right choice for a new beginning to our lives.
We can emerge out of the pupal stage that we are in right now and start the metamorphosis of a beautiful spirited life. We can open our hearts, as the butterfly opens her wings, we can rise in spirit, as the butterfly rises on the breath of God to take flight. We can soar through life choosing to spread beauty, as does the butterfly bringing joy to all. We can stop and nurture upon God's word as the butterfly nurtures upon the flowers in the fields of God's world. We can drink in the Sonshine, resting in His peace as the butterfly rests in the sunshine God showers down upon her.
Please do not wait until the last moment to begin the putting away of the old ways. Bring forth your metamorphosis saying, "see I have already begun." I have been in the wilderness of life and now I begin an new exodus, going through a new wilderness, into the glorious life God promised me.
It is our choice. What choice will you make this New Year?
