The butterfly must break out of its cocoon in its own time. It is an amazing fact that if you rush the butterfly out of the cocoon, breaking its cocoon, it will not be strong enough to fly, it will die. Patience is needed until the time is right and the creature is ripe to break free from its shell- transformed into a being that lives in the heights.

Every human heart, every human being is also destined to become something heavenly, something that lives in Spirit. For we are not meant to just know about spiritual things, we are meant to live Spirit, and in time become Spirit. But like the butterfly in the cocoon, we too must have patience with our progress; we too must ripen before we are strong enough to break free, transformed.

And yet, so often what we find in our souls is anything but patience. We find the burning desire to be there already, to be perfectly enlightened and spiritualized today! Or on the other hand, we find a crippling self-pity that would deem us unworthy for Spirit.

But to to have patience with ourselves and others is to become strong. And the butterfly teaches us to value where we are at, to value the challenges that are right in front of us. For patience with our cocoons will allow us to be able to live our ideals, to become the truths we long for.

This contemplation by Rev. Jonah Evans was inspired by Mark 4 and how to make progress is Christ.