Waiting
The signs were there. Will it come today? I waited.
Transparent skin allowed the orange and black lines to protrude. Was that a crack beginning to appear?
Monarch butterfly season had given me a fresh insight into the marvels of creation. My garden was littered with swan plants and my camera was on standby. The eggs were abundant, allowing a great selection of shots as the insect traversed its cycle.
I wonder what the hatching looks like in real time? I carefully cut the branch where the small, green sac hung, transferring it into a bottle on my kitchen bench. I wasn’t going to miss this action!
The day dawned. It was 6.30AM… I know because I kept checking the sac to make sure I’d be there! The chrysalis was jet black. Not quite ready.
7AM. There it is! Transparent! The crack has appeared and something is protruding… yes, it’s emerging!
This process had begun only two weeks earlier as the caterpillar had turned upside down and metamorphosed into a hibernating haven.
The newly hatched body lingered on the stalk; the fragile extension gradually becoming turgid.
Stillness. Rest time!
Wings expanding, outstretching, now fluttering nearby.
2.45PM. Suddenly, the rapid wing movement propelled the butterfly’s aerodynamic body across the room, alighting on the doorstep. The maiden voyage had begun.
The birth had taken nearly eight hours. Wow! What a miracle! The Creator of the Universe has done it again!
Waiting can be hard. Twenty five years ago, while emerging from ‘burn out,’ I savoured reading a book about the soul traversing mid-life, transforming as a butterfly. The parable has continued with me.
Awaiting the birth of this ‘Waiting’ book has also been hard. I‘ve felt like a lady-in-Waiting! The lengthy process of selecting content, design and sourcing financial provision has been character building and refining. There has been transformation through tears and prayers. I thought I was waiting for Yahweh to come through, but then I discovered … well, you’ll have to read the book!
I took a walk along ‘The Wild Side’ into the capable hands of my co-publishers. They’ve really helped make the birthing so much easier. I’m now preparing for the adventures ahead, in partnership with Holy Spirit. I wonder where He’s going to take this new creation?
Barbara
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