A Season For Butterflies

Posted on by Colleen James
Photo from two summers ago

The butterflies are back this summer, fluttering about in seemingly directionless circles, although that must not be entirely true since they somehow move southward come fall. Two years ago, they showed up right after the Robb elementary tragedy, filling the sky and fluttering around town all summer long and even after the new school year started. At the time, a store-front displayed a banner of twenty-one butterflies with the names of each victim underneath them, so seeing the real-life butterflies everywhere brought a sense of comfort to my heart as our town grieved. It was a reminder to me that God was ever present in our community. He had not turned a blind eye on us.

I grew to appreciate butterflies much more that summer and all that they represented to me, but my admiration of them stemmed long before that. I came to love them as a woman in my late twenties when I started going to counseling for the first time.

I had spiraled into a state of severe loneliness and a fear of rejection within a matter of months, and I knew that the lies I had been believing were affecting me. Ironically, however, I was afraid to let them go. Up until then, I had been choosing the comfort of their familiarity, but God was calling me to faith. As He drew me back to counseling every week and invited me to lay down the lies through reading His Word and in prayer, He gave me hope of what life could eventually be. I was left with the image of a cocoon in my mind’s eye, and just as the caterpillar-turned-butterfly has to wrestle against the cocoon to strengthen its wings and finally break free, I felt God encouraging me to continue to wrestle against the lies I believed until I, too, could break free. It was the only way that I could live the life God intended for me, soaring on wings of faith as I more clearly viewed myself as God saw me.

Today, as I look at butterflies, I feel this sense of hope rising within me. They represent new life to me. They represent the resilience to overcome struggles from within. But, most importantly, they represent a rising out of the darkness to what God has ultimately called them to be.

As they fill the skies this season, I pray that we, as believers, would choose to live life outside of the cocoon. May we strengthen our own wings as we fight against the lies that are so intensely penetrating our world today. And as we wrestle, may we catch a vision of the wondrous transformation that God is creating within us. He is making us new. He is making us into the image of His Son. And He is giving us wings of hope so that we can soar to new heights with Him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

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Published by Colleen James

13 thoughts on “A Season For Butterflies”

  1. A very encouraging word to strengthen our own wings. At times we can be so focused on all that is surrounding us but what I take away from this is to focus on strengthening my own wings so I have the strength to fight and be transformed by God.
    Blessings to you my friend 💙

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    1. Thanks, Manu. Yes, I think it’s easy to listen to all the voices surrounding us, but we need to take every thought captive and refute any lies we have already allowed to take anchor in our hearts. Jesus wants to give us abundant life, but we can only experience that if we are fully embracing truth.

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  2. Butterflies are such an appropriate symbol of the strength the Lord provides for us. I am always amazed that, although they look so fragile, they have had the strength to fight their way out of that cocoon and fly. They have a special meaning for me too since the butterfly is the symbol for thyroid cancer which my granddaughter has. The Lord has given her the strength to fight and keep on flying. He continues to watch over her and give her strength.

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    1. Wow. I didn’t know that about being a symbol for thyroid cancer. That really is special! Blessings to you and your family, Sandy! We need to get together again sometime!

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  4. As someone who “raises” butterflies in her garden, I can attest to the cocoon/chrysalis and hatching/eclosing stages being quite a true wrestle/struggle. You encourage me with your bravery and transparency as you share about the hard things as well as the triumphs. Your life reflects the beauty of the butterflies. 💛🦋💛

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  5. It’s always hard going into that cocoon, not knowing how long we’ll be there until the work is done and we emerge as beautiful butterflies. It gives us so much hope. I too love butterflies, and have written about them more times than I can count. The butterfly in your picture is so tiny! I’ve never seen one so small. Thanks for the beautiful encouragement that we are indeed new creations in Christ. Blessings to you, Colleen!

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    1. Yes! I loved the picture of your last butterfly! Didn’t you write a blogpost about them emerging at one point too? I love how God shows us the truth and teaches us spiritual lessons through His creation. I know you know a lot about that!

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      1. I’ve used caterpillars, cocoons, butterflies. I love it all! And yes, He gives me many spiritual lessons through nature. It speaks the loudest to me and I still have so much to learn. Thanks Colleen!

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