I posted a quote the other day on Facebook. "When we feel restless, it could be that our cocoon has gotten too tight and it's time to spread our wings and fly..." -- I wonder how many times we get frustrated, restless, impatient, bored, snippy and even rude because our cocoons have just gotten too tight. What do you mean by cocoon, Amy? you may be thinking...
A cocoon encases a caterpillar during the time the metamorphosis is occurring for it to become a butterfly. We learned this in our elementary school science classes. When the butterfly's wings and body begin to outgrow the cocoon the stretching and movement breaks the cocoon open so that the butterfly emerges, dries its wings and begins to fly...thus serving its full purpose in life - to pollinate plants and multiply so that the process starts all over again with a new generation. We get the benefit of their beauty and the blessing of the plants that bloom and bear fruit because they fulfilled their calling (or purpose). It has been noted that "helping" a butterfly emerge from the cocoon actually cripples the butterfly because it's in the process of the struggle that the wings are strengthened and the body fully develops - elimination of the struggle by tearing open the cocoon will ultimately cause the butterfly's premature death, thus falling short of fulfilling its purpose...
Maybe you are beginning to see the correlation here. We wrap ourselves in our own little cocoons called comfort zones. Regardless of what that comfort zone is, God wants to take us higher with Him. He wants to stretch us and grow us and strengthen us so that when we are no longer comfortable inside our little cocoon, we become restless. We wiggle and squirm and whine and cry and our faith muscles hurt - our wings become sore. We want more than anything to give up - but if we do our cocoons won't feed us and we'll die inside (at least a piece of us will).
Now, you may be sitting there asking yourself how in the world does this relate to me? You may be thinking, "it's not my fault I can't move forward...I don't have the money, I don't have the time, I don't have or I can't because..." or maybe you are blaming others or finding fault with those who love you and yet you can't seem to move forward or find rest in any place or any thing...
Dear friend - it may be that you have begun to outgrow your cocoon. It may be time to take that first step of faith and believe God will show you the next one. It may be time to let go of those old comfortable habits to let God teach you a new thing. Maybe it's a dead end job that is never going to lead to anything. Maybe it's a relationship with someone that isn't healthy or doesn't honor God that just needs to be let go or given new perspective. Maybe it's applying to college or teaching a class for the first time or taking the risk to love again after being hurt deeply.
Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your ways unto the Lord and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 3:5, 6 says, "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and HE will direct your paths." Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not harm you."
One of the greatest challenges a Christian faces each day is to trust the Lord with total abandon. It's not the routine of Bible study, prayer and the disciplines associated with it -- it's blind faith and trust in the One who is unseen...
When we feel restless, our hearts are the last thing we need to trust! Hearts lie. When we feel restless - we need to seek God with everything we have. It's in our weakness, He is made strong. When we begin to truly seek Him, He will open up our eyes to things we've never hoped for or imagined -- this is a promise dear friends.
Don't wait around on a money bag or lightning bolt to fall from the sky if God is calling you to a higher place. Don't blame others for not being able to follow your calling or pursue your dreams. We are promised that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory...if God calls - HE WILL PROVIDE AND ENABLE. Plain and simple.
If we are in a place of waiting - we know our calling - we know our purpose - but for whatever reason, God has chosen not to move us forward - we don't need to become stagnant in our waiting. How can we keep from growing stagnant during our wait time? Keep studying, praying and seeking. Keep asking questions of God and wise counsel...Keep exercising those wings because the stronger they become during the wait time, the more strength they will have on the other side of the struggle.
If someone asks, "How are you?" during this time and you know they are sincere - tell them what's going on and ask them to pray with you. Prayer is the greatest faith building tool we have and the more we pray the more strength we will draw from the Holy Spirit.
Prepare - do the research - if it's college, grad school - read everything you can about it and search for resources for financial aid. Apply for scholarships, work study, etc. You'd be surprised how many openings college campuses have specifically for students.
Be proactive - invite a friend to church, take a class, try something new. It could be that the temporary discomfort is preparing you to be a leader and you need wisdom and strength to be effective in your leading. Exercise - stretch those muscles - read more, change a bad habit - make a new friend...apply to that graduate school or college you've always dreamed of attending!
Just remember that all things from God have purpose and that there is nothing new under the sun (or His Son, for that matter). We, who are called His children should never be satisfied with complacency which is much different than contentment.
Contentment is active while waiting, whereas complacency is stagnant and quite boring.
Stretch your faith muscles, trust God and spread your wings and when it's time - TAKE FLIGHT!!!
Until next time, be blessed in the Name of the Lord...Amy
A cocoon encases a caterpillar during the time the metamorphosis is occurring for it to become a butterfly. We learned this in our elementary school science classes. When the butterfly's wings and body begin to outgrow the cocoon the stretching and movement breaks the cocoon open so that the butterfly emerges, dries its wings and begins to fly...thus serving its full purpose in life - to pollinate plants and multiply so that the process starts all over again with a new generation. We get the benefit of their beauty and the blessing of the plants that bloom and bear fruit because they fulfilled their calling (or purpose). It has been noted that "helping" a butterfly emerge from the cocoon actually cripples the butterfly because it's in the process of the struggle that the wings are strengthened and the body fully develops - elimination of the struggle by tearing open the cocoon will ultimately cause the butterfly's premature death, thus falling short of fulfilling its purpose...
Maybe you are beginning to see the correlation here. We wrap ourselves in our own little cocoons called comfort zones. Regardless of what that comfort zone is, God wants to take us higher with Him. He wants to stretch us and grow us and strengthen us so that when we are no longer comfortable inside our little cocoon, we become restless. We wiggle and squirm and whine and cry and our faith muscles hurt - our wings become sore. We want more than anything to give up - but if we do our cocoons won't feed us and we'll die inside (at least a piece of us will).
Now, you may be sitting there asking yourself how in the world does this relate to me? You may be thinking, "it's not my fault I can't move forward...I don't have the money, I don't have the time, I don't have or I can't because..." or maybe you are blaming others or finding fault with those who love you and yet you can't seem to move forward or find rest in any place or any thing...
Dear friend - it may be that you have begun to outgrow your cocoon. It may be time to take that first step of faith and believe God will show you the next one. It may be time to let go of those old comfortable habits to let God teach you a new thing. Maybe it's a dead end job that is never going to lead to anything. Maybe it's a relationship with someone that isn't healthy or doesn't honor God that just needs to be let go or given new perspective. Maybe it's applying to college or teaching a class for the first time or taking the risk to love again after being hurt deeply.
Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your ways unto the Lord and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 3:5, 6 says, "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and HE will direct your paths." Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not harm you."
One of the greatest challenges a Christian faces each day is to trust the Lord with total abandon. It's not the routine of Bible study, prayer and the disciplines associated with it -- it's blind faith and trust in the One who is unseen...
When we feel restless, our hearts are the last thing we need to trust! Hearts lie. When we feel restless - we need to seek God with everything we have. It's in our weakness, He is made strong. When we begin to truly seek Him, He will open up our eyes to things we've never hoped for or imagined -- this is a promise dear friends.
Don't wait around on a money bag or lightning bolt to fall from the sky if God is calling you to a higher place. Don't blame others for not being able to follow your calling or pursue your dreams. We are promised that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory...if God calls - HE WILL PROVIDE AND ENABLE. Plain and simple.
If we are in a place of waiting - we know our calling - we know our purpose - but for whatever reason, God has chosen not to move us forward - we don't need to become stagnant in our waiting. How can we keep from growing stagnant during our wait time? Keep studying, praying and seeking. Keep asking questions of God and wise counsel...Keep exercising those wings because the stronger they become during the wait time, the more strength they will have on the other side of the struggle.
If someone asks, "How are you?" during this time and you know they are sincere - tell them what's going on and ask them to pray with you. Prayer is the greatest faith building tool we have and the more we pray the more strength we will draw from the Holy Spirit.
Prepare - do the research - if it's college, grad school - read everything you can about it and search for resources for financial aid. Apply for scholarships, work study, etc. You'd be surprised how many openings college campuses have specifically for students.
Be proactive - invite a friend to church, take a class, try something new. It could be that the temporary discomfort is preparing you to be a leader and you need wisdom and strength to be effective in your leading. Exercise - stretch those muscles - read more, change a bad habit - make a new friend...apply to that graduate school or college you've always dreamed of attending!
Just remember that all things from God have purpose and that there is nothing new under the sun (or His Son, for that matter). We, who are called His children should never be satisfied with complacency which is much different than contentment.
Contentment is active while waiting, whereas complacency is stagnant and quite boring.
Stretch your faith muscles, trust God and spread your wings and when it's time - TAKE FLIGHT!!!
Until next time, be blessed in the Name of the Lord...Amy
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