And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you… Ezekiel 36:26a

As a young girl, the late elementary study of the life cycle of caterpillars to butterflies stirred my imagination. I was amazed that such a phenomenon could exist, and I wanted to observe it with my own eyes.

I went into my yard searching for subjects to attempt an experiment. To my delight, I found a large number of caterpillars on a pair of tall poplar trees in our backyard. I quickly located a large jar, punched numerous holes in its lid, broke several twigs, complete with leaves, and placed them in my jar. I then added several of the caterpillars and watched as they devoured leaves. It would clearly be a big job to keep those little critters supplied with food if they were to survive and complete my goal of raising them to be butterflies.

I added leaves whenever the supply became low, kept a container of water in the jar, and watched as the small caterpillars became larger and changed color. I lost a couple along the way, but my persistence paid off. When I checked on them one morning, a couple of them had formed perfect chrysalises.

Chrysalis: a protected state of growth, development, or transitional phase where someone or something is preparing to undergo a profound, beautiful change. merriam-webster.com

I released the others and, no longer needing to perform my regular feeding duties, my task became one of patiently waiting. One day, I noticed a big change in the appearance of one chrysalis. Traces of the pattern of the adult butterfly became obvious through the thinning shell, and shortly after that, right before my eyes and to my great delight, the beautiful insect emerged. It sat quietly for a while and then spread its wings. That was my cue to open the jar and let it go. The reward of all my efforts was a beautiful butterfly drinking in the nectar from my mom’s petunias.

That experiment, of course, happened long ago, and I have no idea which variety of butterfly I raised in my jar, but I can remember the thrill of watching the adult butterfly emerge and then rise into the air to complete its purpose: to mate and ensure the continuation of the species.

And the fascination with the process of metamorphosis still intrigues me today. How in this world can a long, slender caterpillar cover itself in a magical coating, liquify and rearrange its entire molecular structure, and emerge as a delicately winged butterfly? First, it’s crawling along leaves, eating everything in its wake, and then it’s flitting from flower to flower, drawing nectar for its nourishment. Not only does it seem impossible, but I ask myself, “Why?” What is the reason that some of God’s creatures completely transform during their life cycles?

Perhaps the answer is that we humans need a science lesson to demonstrate God’s ability to change any living thing into something different. After all, he created the caterpillar—of course, He can transform it into anything He wants it to be. And He can do the same with us. When we finally realize that He gave us life and wants to share all of that life with us, a metamorphosis begins in us. No, of course, we don’t liquify or rearrange our molecular structure. Our metamorphosis is not one of the body, but one of the heart and soul.

There, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here. II Corinthians 5:17

We begin with a desire to devour God’s Word; we are nourished by His daily bread and living water. We grow in relationship with Him and become a new person. Do we always live up to His expectations? Certainly not! But once we know Him, we understand that He’ll always be there. If He can make that funny-looking caterpillar become a lovely butterfly, He can surely turn my mess into a life of extraordinary beauty. Create in me, Lord, a metamorphosis that makes me look more like you!