Recently, I got to accompany my 13-month-old grandson on his first trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. A few days later, I did the same with my almost 3-year-old granddaughter. In case I haven’t mentioned it lately, this grandpa thing is a good gig!

Now, a day at the zoo is a pretty good day for any reason, especially the Fort Worth Zoo, which is one of the top 5 in the nation.  But, of course, that’s not what makes the grandpa gig special. That’s all about seeing smiles of delight and hearing squeals of wonder from these little people whom I love more than life itself—and experiencing those in the same locale where I experienced it with their parents more than two decades ago.

Most exciting of all, no matter the age, is the chance that there might be a sighting of the amazing caterpillar!

Oh, you mean you don’t get excited about a fuzzy worm exhibit? Well, apparently the zoo doesn’t either because they are not highlighting caterpillars.

In fact, I’m not aware of any place where caterpillars are the featured attraction.  I did a quick Google search to see if I could find such a place, but the only caterpillar exhibitions I could find were featuring trucks and tractors.

You can, however, find places around the country that celebrate butterflies (or those formerly known as caterpillars). I found one website where you could search for butterfly houses and gardens by state and by country.

During my personal devotional time on a recent morning, I read Isaiah chapter 43. There were several verses that I highlighted, but the passage that stuck out the most was Isaiah 43:18-19.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

This verse made me think about caterpillars. Caterpillars are not without purpose or value. But their purpose is not fully realized until they emerge from the cocoon and take flight. 

Who longs for the days of crawling?  Can you imagine a Kaleidoscope of butterflies (that’s the collective name for a group of them) sitting around reminiscing about the good old fuzzy crawler days or comparing the merits of various cocoonages? (That word I made up).

Unfortunately, too many of us are stuck in our cocoons longing for the good old caterpillar days instead of moving forward in God’s stream of ongoing creation.  I see it all the time.  We miss amazing opportunities to take flight while we crawl around bemoaning the loss of what used to be. We live from memory instead of vision.

Our lives matter to God and He is always up to something new. That is not in question. What is in question is whether we will resist it, deny it, or join in and cooperate so that we can soar.

How will you be alert and watching for what God is doing today?

About

Just an ordinary guy living an amazing life. Amazed by God and joining Him in His amazing activity in the world. Seeking the flourishing of fellow travelers. Author, Blogger, Speaker, Singer, CoachSultant, Husband, Dad, Grandpa.