Lessons from the Luna Moth

Nearly 8 weeks ago, my Mom brought us a nice squishy and juicy caterpillar. We were not sure if he would make a cocoon, but thought the kids would enjoy watching him crawl around in a nice big pickle jar we had just emptied anyhow. We picked some grass and got a couple little twigs and added to our jar and waited to see what would happen. It didn't take long, the next day I believe, for him to begin spinning his cocoon. We watched every time we walked by to see how he was doing. Hannah noticed about a week later the intricacies of the cocoon... Mr. Cater Pillar had spun his home with unbelievable detail, weaving his cocoon in such a way that there were 3 evenly spaced air holes in the top! Talk about a Master Designer!! We waited... and waited... and waited... I had nearly given up on him, and suddenly this week as I walked by, I saw a bustling movement in the jar, and "Luney" the Luna Moth had come out of his cocoon!! When he 'hatched', he had very small wings, and you could even still see the green of the 'old caterpillar'. His wings were much smaller than his body, so as I checked him every several minutes or so I could see him change and it really seemed as if I could watch his wings grow!! He continued to grow and become this beautiful Luna Moth. I planned on keeping him one more day, but after his change was complete, he was desperately trying to fly, so I knew I had to let him go. We took him out to the porch and all watched him go to his new home. Now... for the examples and lessons learned... This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17. First lesson... I honestly had thought a week prior to 'Looney's' hatching that it had been too long, and nearly got rid of cocoon, jar and all. How often do we do that with others... give up on them and think they are hopeless and throw them away, not knowing the awesome work that Jesus may have in store for them just around the corner. Second lesson... I thought when butterflies (in this case a moth) hatched they were flight ready. Not so, his wings needed to grow, his body change, and both of these took time - not much, but time nonetheless.We, when we are born again into our new life in Christ, are not 'flight ready'. We need to take time to grow (be discipled) into the new creation that Christ designed us to become. Third lesson... Even the squishiest gooiest caterpillar can become a beautiful butterfly (moth). No one is too far gone for Jesus to save. He takes our goo and makes it beautiful. Fourth lesson... once the moth was flight ready, there was no turning back to the old way!! Just like we are to do a 180 degree turn around and not look back at the old self. True repentance is turning an about face away from the sins I used to be enslaved to and flying to Jesus and living for Him.