Caterpillars

I think it is prudent for me for me to write a blog about caterpillars before I publish my next couple blogs, which happen to be about me and some changes happening.

I never ever related me to a caterpillar, I find them fairly gross and as I began learning more about them, it got kind of creepy. For instance do you know that in the process to make a caterpillar from a “worm” to a butterfly the worm is reduced to a slimy, soupy mess. Is that not so gross! Like yuck.

But so much more is happening within the cocoon. By the way there are 2 types of cocoons, a moth makes a silky smooth cocoon while a butterfly builds a chrysalis, more of an almost shell.

Now depending on your weather, warm weather speeds up the process while cooler weather slows things down. The species of caterpillar determines how long they are in the cocoon. It can be short like 10-14 days but some can stay in the cocoon for a month or even a winter.

Fun facts:

Scientists feel that pupation, the act of morphing into another creature will not actually physically hurt the caterpillar. They believe the morphing is painless.

The caterpillar's body naturally dissolves into a nutrient-rich fluid while specialized cells build the adult butterfly.

Caterpillars can hear says Binghamton University! While they lack traditional ears, research shows that caterpillars like the tobacco hornworm and the monarch can detect airborne sounds—like the low-frequency wingbeats of predatory wasps, using microscopic sensory hairs on their bodies.

Butterflies do remember specific things they learned as caterpillars, even though their bodies liquefy into a "soup" during metamorphosis. While they likely don't possess autobiographical memories, scientific studies show that aversions (like avoiding certain smells) learned during the larval stage are successfully retained into adulthood.

I also did not know caterpillars can be venomous!

In Canada, several fuzzy caterpillars can cause painful, venomous stings or severe rashes if touched. The most notable include the Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), the White-Marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), and the American Dagger Moth (Acronicta).

What to do if you are stung:

1. Remove hairs: Use clear tape or tweezers to gently pull any loose hairs from the affected area.

2. Wash: Thoroughly wash the skin with soap and water.

3. Soothe: Apply ice or a paste of baking soda and water to reduce swelling and itching.

4. Monitor: If hairs get into the eyes, or if you experience severe systemic reactions (difficulty breathing, facial swelling, or nausea), seek immediate medical Attention.

Now it is not only caterpillars that literally morph into another being, tadpoles also do.

AI overview describes it as:

“The transformation of a tadpole into an adult frog is a drastic biological process called metamorphosis. Over 3 to 14 weeks, the aquatic herbivore develops lungs and legs, shortens its digestive tract, and entirely reabsorbs its tail to become a terrestrial, carnivorous adult.”

A totally other creature. Amazing, stupefying and wonderous to our brains, the how and whys of this process.

Corinthians 5:17 ESV

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

Did you know people are supposed to morph into another stage as well? After we receive the Holy Spirit and invite Him to come live with/in us, the process begins. It is not something we “have” to do, it is a process we “get” to do.

God loves us so much He does not leave us as He found us. He uses His Holy Spirit to help us become more like Him. Not that we become gods, rather we start to have similar characteristics of God because He is inside of us. I know it sounds weird but it is as Jesus told us “that the Holy Spirit would be with us and in us.” John 14:16-17.

God did not leave us as orphans with no hope, He left us with a piece of Himself to give us total hope. We are expected to change, it is a natural progression in the life of a believer, in fact the word metamorphosis is used in the Greek language of the Bible as metamorphoo.

It is used in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV): "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed (metamorphoo) into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Now again, like in the natural physical world the length of time it takes for this transformation to take place will vary. It will depend on many factors, it could be radically quick and life changing or a more slow and steady pace. But change will come, it has to, it is supposed to.

Try to light a olive on fire, it will not burn and yet olive oil was used in Biblical times for lamp fuel. The squeezing of the olive fruit produces an oil that burns.

Grapes are yummy and eaten frequently by people. There never seems to be intoxicated folks from eating grapes, but squeeze the grapes or crush them, allow them to sit and ferment, well wine is in the making. Same fruit, different result.

People: squeeze or crush them, allow them to sit in their “darkness and pain” for a while, something starts to change. This is in addition to the amazing transformation of having Gods Spririt come inside of them. The being broken seems to start a change inside that would never have happened if not for this radical process. Not one anyone wanted or desired and yet…changes come. Now it can be a good change or it can be a bitter and hard change. It seems the choice can be ours. Allow the crushing to become new wine, fuel for use or a hardness that is perhaps venomous.

I have found myself on a journey that feels like not my choosing and I am finding that I constantly have to choose which outcome I want for the good of myself and possibly others or for hardness and bitterness. Honestly some days have a bit of both. But I take comfort that this is a journey not a destination and it continually moves, albeit slowly, but I am still moving, and for that I am most grateful.