I am always amazed at God’s creation.  Everything is incredibly designed, creative and purposeful.  So when I saw my neighbor’s Live Butterfly Garden, I knew it would be a great opportunity to talk with my kids about how God makes caterpillars into butterflies and learn a lesson from the butterfly.  Plus, it would be lots of fun!

  Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden

Once we had the Live Butterfly Garden kit (Amazon.com currently $11.75), we sent away for our caterpillars ($5) and waited 1-3 weeks for them to arrive.  I was a little nervous that they had arrived while I was in the hospital.  I knew Dan would be too preoccupied to get the mail and when I remembered about their arrival, all I could think of was five fried caterpillars in the 90 degree heat.  But alas, they came later and my wonderful mailman brought them right up to the door for us.

 

Our Caterpillars Arrved!

 

We watched our caterpillars move all around until they hung upside down from the top of the container and formed cocoons.

Cool Cocoons!

 

At that point, we moved them to the habitat.  This part freaked me out a little!  The cocoons started to shake and rattle as a defense mechanism.  Ahhh!  It was creepy.  I had to get my nerve up to move their disc into the habitat, inspite of the snake-like sound and crazy shaking.  Later, I recruited my niece to help me clean the silk off so I didn’t have to be close to that rattle again!

In Their New Habitat
Five Cocoons

 

Then 7-10 days later, our butterflies emerged!  It was so exciting!

Painted Lady Butterfly

 

The butterflies only have a life span of 2-4 weeks, so we released them into our yard.  Sweet Boy had fun chasing the ones that lingered.

Flowers with Sugar Water for Butterfly Food
Releasing the Butterflies from their Habitat

 

Lesson from the Butterfly:  Struggle is a part of the butterfly’s transformation, just as it is ours.  The butterfly must beat his wings against the cocoon to break free.  This process, however difficult, is used to develop the wings and build strength.  The butterfly would not become what he was intended to be without making it through the trying time of breaking through the cocoon.  

When we face struggles, we need to remember that God can use it to transform us into the person He intends us to become.  The time of trial or testing need not be an end to itself, rather a means to making us more into the likeness of Christ.  What are you facing that you need to labor through that you might put on wings and soar?  

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  1 Peter 1:6-7

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