Turning our Cocoons into Divine Preparation

In my interactions with friends and family lately, I’ve been referring to this time of isolation as “being in a cocoon”. I sense that we are growing in our gratitude and being made over mentally in ways that are so good for us. I saw this on a friend’s FB page yesterday. It confirmed what I had been thinking:

“TRAFFIC is gone, GAS is affordable, BILLS extended.
KIDS are at home with their FAMILIES.
PARENTS are home taking care of their CHILDREN.
FAST FOOD replaced by HOME COOKED MEALS.
Hectic SCHEDULES replaced by NAPS, REST, and RELAXATION.
The AIR seems CLEANER. The WORLD quieter.
PEOPLE are conscious about HYGIENE and HEALTH.
MONEY doesn't seem to make the world go round any more.
We have TIME, finally, to STOP and SMELL the ROSES.
And lastly, We've become closer to THE MOST HIGH and more praising HIM every day of our LIVES. Yes, I want this to be over but there is some positive in this.”

Eye opening for sure. I’ve been through some painful seasons when it felt like I was in an uncomfortable cocoon. It seemed God had a deaf ear to my heart cries. The seasons of financial concerns, illnesses, disappointments, broken relationships, family deaths – including, my own precious husband’s passing. I was in the cocoon during those times – going through what seemed to be personal death, but, God was using those seasons to instill in me hope, trust and belief that He was in control, and that He was creating a butterfly that could soar further and higher than I could have imagined.

It was in those dark seasons that my faith grew stronger. No question -- the cocoon WAS painful. But were it not for that dark season and the changes made in me, I would have never known the joy, freedom and beauty of flying to such heights today.

Hold on, my beloved children and friends. Soon, we will be breaking out of these cocoons. Count on it -- when we are free again, we will not be ashamed to dance in the rain, to celebrate each new day with the wonderment of a child, to laugh at ourselves, to value each other more than ever before, to look in the mirror and see LIFE being lived to its fullest again.

Soon, this dark cocoon will be in our past. We’ll realize that it was worth the stillness and death and preparation for the wings we were given to fly higher than we’ve ever flown before. We’ll soon break free from this isolation and we’ll never take so much for granted ever again. Before long, we'll be spreading our wings to fly and we'll start flying AND dancing again.

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy." Psalm 30:11

The Butterflies are Dancing -- Are You?

A couple of weeks ago, a group of us did the Walk for Life and when we were gathering our belongings to get to registration and the start line, someone said, “Donna, look at the butterfly on your car!” I quickly took this photo because I knew there would be an upcoming post from this little inspiration. Butterflies are powerful representations of life. They are seen as a symbol of resurrection and people view them as representing endurance, change, and hope.

I've been amazed at how many butterflies I've seen over the last few weeks. I'm not a butterfly enthusiast that plants foliage just to attract butterflies, but now they are attracting ME. I would think it was springtime instead of fall. They are so light and free and FAST! It seems like they're dancing on air!

We know the stages of a butterfly and transformation analogies as they change from a caterpillar to a cocoon to a butterfly and how we, in our lives transform from death to life and then emerge to be all God destined us to be. Going through physical, spiritual or mental changes is a form of metamorphosis like the butterfly. I love the "ARRIVED" stage the most when our wings have developed and we can take flight and DANCE -- just like the butterflies.

I'll never forget when my husband had to have emergency surgery to remove a tumor that was impinging on his spinal cord. His neurosurgeon said it was one of the three most life-threatening surgeries ever. But, even with the seriousness of it all, I remember God's peace that surrounded us. We knew He was in control so we were lighthearted and free of worry. In the pre-op room, we looked up at the ceiling and we saw butterflies and we became even more assured of God with us when a nurse, wearing a butterfly jacket, assisted us. The message was loud and clear: "Dance as if you don't have a care in the world."

Our spirits were "dancing" in that hospital room. We knew, like those butterflies, that transformation and resurrection was taking place in us. They reminded us to let go of worry and concern to be free to dance -- right in the middle of our circumstances.

Butterflies continue to remind us to get up and move, for if we don't move, we cannot dance. In one way or another, we are all going through transition and transformation. Maybe it's from one age to another, from one season to another, or from one stage of life to another. Some exertion is required to emerge. We can't sit still and expect to break free from doubt, fear, and worry. We know it's time for a change and with courage and determination, we'll break free from our "cocoons".

What freedom we felt during some of the toughest and most challenging times of our lives. I promise you -- it's worth it to DANCE -- to break free from worry and doubt, and simply trust that our Creator has the best possible outcome in mind. So, then, why should we worry or fret? Let's just DANCE!

The Butterfly Effect - Your Life Matters

The butterfly effect -- they say the wing-flapping of a butterfly can move molecules of air in a chain reaction that can set off a storm a world away.

And what about the effect that someone, or some incident, had in your life? Think about those influences that made you, who you are today. Maybe watching your single Mom work several jobs to give you the best education and now, look at you -- you're making tremendous sacrifices to give your children the best education. In fact, you may be seeing the butterfly effect on your grandchildren because your children were so impacted by your life of commitment and dedication to what you believed in the most.

We can keep tracing back farther and farther into the past and see that each person’s action has far-reaching effects into the future whether he or she knows it or not. We were created by God to make a difference in the world. Our actions, whether good or bad, will impact lives after lives in a chain of events. What we do with our lives matters forever; so, let's choose wisely how we live. We could be the key that turns the tide in someone's life. Just a pebble in the water can set the sea in motion -- a simple act of kindness could stir someone's life to greatness. Our lives matter.

If we show a little love -- heaven knows what we could change if we reach out our hand to someone in need. Come with me and let's seize the day! This world may never be the same -- because of our BUTTERFLY effect.

Break Free of That Cocoon

I’ve been through some painful seasons when it felt like God had a deaf ear to my heart cries. The seasons of financial concerns, children’s illnesses, broken relationships, disappointments, family deaths – including, my own precious husband’s passing. I was in the cocoon during those times – going through what seemed to be, personal death, but, God was using those seasons to instill in me, hope, trust and belief that He was in control, and that He was creating a butterfly that could soar further and higher than I could have imagined. It was in those dark seasons that my faith grew stronger and stronger. And, I assure you, I have broken free from the cocoon and I am flying today. No question -- the cocoon WAS painful. But were it not for the transition and change, I would have never known the joy, freedom and beauty of flying to such heights today. To be able to dance in the rain, to celebrate each new day with the wonderment of a child, to laugh at myself, to look in the mirror and see LIFE being lived to its fullest is wonderful. Winter and living in the cocoon was yesterday, but Springtime has come -- and my new life as a butterfly was worth the stillness and death and preparation. Isn't it time for you to break free of your cocoon, too? The vantage point from up here to down there as a caterpillar, sure does make a difference!! "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy." Psalms 30:11

Works of the Master Artist; Artists at Work

Loved my Life Group tonight as we talked about our great Creator Who created us with the abilities to CREATE. I asked each one to bring a photo or share something that they "created". I loved it when one of our precious ladies brought a gorgeous quilt she had made for a grandbaby that's on the way -- one quilt among many she made for family, as well as those she's created for her business. She was already a quilter when her husband passed away a couple of years ago, and then just a couple of months later, her home burned to the ground. EVERYTHING she owned -- burned, including her quilting machine and tools. She said, "That's it. I'll never quilt again." Then one day, she said, "I'm not going to stop living. I'll start again!" And with that, she rebuilit her home and started creating again. Yes, she spread her wings, and today she exudes with life and love and liberty of knowing she is on assignment. Have you stopped living? Have you stopped creating? God wants us to break free from those things that stopped the creative juices from flowing. He wants us to spread our wings and fly in freedom to be all He destined us to be -- and to touch many lives while we do. We are works of the Master Artist, and we are Artists at work!