Butterflies and Thankfulness

Weird. It's my new word. I use it a lot. Like when Mommy was playing Mario Kart yesterday (Yes, Mommy plays Mario Kart on days she feels she needs an escape from life).

You know what's weird about Mario Kart? The ghost race.

"That's weird," I say.

You know what else is weird? Caterpillars that come in the mail.

"Weal weird."

They came scrawny, small, and awfully hungry because in just one day they doubled in size. They grew. and grew. and grew.

Which, meant they also did a lot of pooping. Mommy even got to see one do his job in action.

Weird.

You know what's weirder than that? The chrysalises they made. It wrapped all around their bodies. They hung upside down. waiting.

Well, one didn't. In Mommy's excitement to show us the first formed chrysalis she managed to knock it off its perch. There it lay. On the pooped infested floor. We thought he was a goner. In fact, we thought he was decapitated.

You want to know what's weird?

It wasn't.

Nope, approximately 10 days later that "decapitated" caterpillar crawled out of the chrysalis a butterfly. His head was in tact.

A few days later, the four others joined him. Or should I say her?

We watched them flutter their wings as they grew and hardened. We watched them fly about the net. We watched them eat the sugar water.

Did you know they taste with their feet?

Weird.

You know what else is weird? Mommy says that's kind of what God does to people when they become Christians. They become a new creature. They change in amazing ways.

Because of Jesus.

Don't believe me? Well, it's in the Bible.

"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Cor. 5:17

Now, don't go getting too excited. I don't think any of us will be changing into butterflies. Bummer, because I really wanted to fly. But apparently this change far surpasses any change we witnessed. Sounds pretty awesome to me even if it doesn't involve fluttery wings.

So, with that, Mommy continues with her list of thankfulness...

#71: God's creativity with His creation

#72: being able to watch a caterpillar transform into a

        butterfly

#73: the wide array of creation we can enjoy each day, a

        playground for our senses

#74: sunscreen that lets us play at the pool for hours

#75: another lead for John's job

#76: three healthy children

#77: the men and women who have serve our country and

        willingly put themselves in harms way to protect what

        we enjoy freely

#78: a daughter who is such a helper with the younger kids

#79: Grant attempting to put his clothes on by himself

        today.

#80: dusk, the most peaceful time of day to me