Today, while scrolling through Facebook on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I came across a post shared by someone I know. I don't ordinarily spend much time responding to other people's posts. Quite frankly, there's a lot out there that I simply can't relate to. But every now and then, something catches my attention, resonates with my spirit, and gives me pause.
This was one of those moments.
The post read:
"We want butterflies in our garden, but reject its stage as a caterpillar. Transformation is the law of process. Don't reject yourself."
I immediately connected with that message because it reminded me of something that happened in my own backyard this past summer.
I had an abundance of beautiful butterflies visiting my yard, including lots of monarch butterflies. I also had dragonflies, including what I understand were some rather uncommon varieties, and hummingbirds making appearances. It was a beautiful sight, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them.
But there was something happening in my garden that I wasn't enjoying quite so much.
My four o'clock plants were losing their leaves. In fact, some were practically stripped bare. I kept wondering what was eating them and was getting ready to Google pesticides to figure out how to control the problem.
Then I noticed a caterpillar on one of the shrubs.
Suddenly, something clicked!
The very leaves I was complaining about losing were providing nourishment for the caterpillars. Those caterpillars were part of the process that eventually produced the beautiful butterflies I had been enjoying.
Here I was, celebrating the butterflies while unknowingly fussing about the very process that helped bring them into existence.
When I researched it, I also discovered that my backyard was apparently providing a safe environment for these visitors. That made me feel even better. I wasn't just enjoying the beauty of nature; I was providing an environment where it could thrive.
And now, rather than reaching for pesticides the next time I see leaves disappearing, I'll remember what those leaves might be contributing to.
As a matter of fact, next spring, I plan to add more marigolds and four o'clock plants to encourage even more visitors to my little sanctuary.
But the experience left me thinking about something much bigger than gardening.
How often do we desire the beautiful things in life without understanding what goes into producing them?
We want the success but don't always appreciate the work required to achieve it. We want the healing but sometimes resist the process. We want the transformation but become frustrated when the process requires us to let go of something, change direction, or experience discomfort.
Sometimes we become so focused on what appears to be going wrong that we fail to recognize what might be developing right before our eyes.
I'm not suggesting that every hardship is necessary or that we should accept every difficult circumstance as part of some grand plan. But I am suggesting that we become more mindful of the process and less inclined to judge it before we understand it.
Not everything that looks like a loss is a loss. Not everything that appears to be falling apart is without purpose. And sometimes, what we are so quick to reject may be an important part of what we're hoping to become.
My little backyard taught me something this summer.
I wanted the butterflies, but I didn't understand that I also needed to make room for the caterpillars.
Perhaps we could all benefit from remembering that.
Don't become so consumed with wanting to experience the beauty of the butterfly that you reject the process of becoming one.
I'm just saying, I got issues. What about you?🦋
#IGotIssues, #WeWantButterflies, #Transformation, #TrustTheProcess, #LifeLessons, #SundayReflections, #Mindfulness, and #NatureHasALesson
