Chrysalis

Last fall, I was walking outside and looked down and saw a caterpillar. It was about time for things to turn cold and I felt saddened thinking about how the caterpillar would likely freeze before it ever had a chance to stretch it's wings and fly as a butterfly. My mind turned to church and legalism, as it often does. The allegory is sometimes made about the caterpillar turning into a butterfly when a person is born again. But when a person leaves legalism, it is much the same with an awakening happening and then a stretch of the wings and a taking flight.

Sometimes, when we leave legalism, it is hard to think of those left behind. We think if they were smart or open or willing, like we had been, they too would see what we see. However, like the caterpillar that died in the fall before it had a chance to fly, so too do some die before they see.

When I was a legalist, I was very judgmental. Sometimes, it's hard not to take that judgmentalism with you and figure those left behind are not willing or open and maybe they deserve what they get. With some, that may be true. However, I think there are many types of caterpillars and many situations. The truth of the matter is, that some people die while they are still in the caterpillar stage. Some get run over, some get stepped on, some freeze, some get eaten, some simply die.

So, those left behind aren't always any more guilty than we were when we were yet innocent, doing the things we thought we were supposed to be doing. I know that I believed what I believed with a full heart, until I began to see....and then I didn't believe it anymore. And, because of circumstances, I stayed quite a while physically.

I think most people are innocent. Some refuse to see, some take advantage, some just want what they can get and don't care about others. But most are just caterpillars, like we were, bumping along through life, trying their best to find a place to turn a chrysalis. When we leave legalism and judgmentalism, let's truly leave it. Let's truly fly.

This writing is the copyright of Lynne Johnson-Yohnk and was posted with her permission. Additional articles may be viewed here. Her email address is lyohnk@hotmail.com if you wish to write. Please let her know if you appreciate her writings!

Page added January 11, 2016

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