My Easter Gift

Our Easter morning began with a light covering of snow. On the way into our church, I found a fuzzy little caterpillar. :o) April in Ontario should be warm and snow a fading reality. My furry little friend was a reminder that YES spring is here, even if it doesn't always look or feel like it."

Crawling along the walkway, he was totally oblivious to how vulnerable he really was. Soon he would have been in danger of being squashed as people began to arrive for our morning service. I scooped him up and took him in for "Show & Tell" to the 4/5 yr old class. I love watching little ones as they are amazed by God's creation. (YES, I believe bugs and insects are interesting!)

I switched him into a stryofoam cup and it was really interesting to watch how people reacted as they "saw what was in my cup." Most kids thought he was "cool," but the adults had mixed reactions - some jumped back and weren't impressed at all (I really wasn't trying to "scare" them), while others didn't seem to understand why I was so excited. Some thought I found him in my coffee!!

Easter has many symbols. It is significant that we celebrate it in the spring at the launch of a new season with "new life" popping up everywhere - a time for new beginnings!! Easter is a celebration of Jesus' Resurrection. The butterfly is a perfect analogy for us. The lowly caterpillar enters his own little "tomb" and essentially "dies" (we never again see him as he was). Then he "resurrects" into a beautiful butterfly - free and able to fly to new heights that were never before possible or even imagined.

We are like that little caterpillar - crawling along - oblivious to the reality all around us. Jesus scoops us up and gives us a new beginning - new life! Then we are NEVER the same again. He redeems us - no matter what our life was like before. A new creation!! HE gives us a freedom we couldn't imagine possible. Because of Calvary, we will never be "caterpillars" again. What better reason to celebrate: HE has RISEN and HE is ALIVE!!

I released my little Easter friend in the grass where there was no chance of him being stepped on. He was free to continue his journey. Then I thanked God for my Easter gift from HIM. The reminder that no matter what things look like, WE ARE HIS REDEEMED!! Some days don't look like spring, but spring IS here. There are times that we don't feel like butterflies, but the reality is - we are no longer caterpillars - HE has set us FREE!!

He paid the ultimate price for us - Walk in His Freedom.

Selah Y