Three Little Caterpillars

Help us, Lord, in our hurrying and scurrying that we might find our resting place in You!

I had just finished my walk and quiet time on the bench where I listen to the Lord and started the uphill climb to my street. I noted a caterpillar coming towards me in the gutter. He was just scurrying along as fast as his feet could carry him. The strange thing was, the cool grass was just inches away. I thought with this heat, he might have a better chance of surviving in the grass. I stooped down and tried to cup him in my hands, but he worked hard to avoid me.

Frustrated, but persistent in my desire to get him to safety, I swept him with my hand onto the grass. As I walked away, I prayed, Lord, let him fulfill his life and become a beautiful butterfly. May he light upon or fly into someone’s view who needs some cheer someday. And then, aghast, I thought, oh my! Perhaps he was ON the right path and I made him detour? So, I prayed the Lord would guard him and get him on the path the Lord had for him and apologized for interfering.

A God of Second & Third Chances
Imagine my surprise when I saw another caterpillar scurrying towards me. This one had beautiful red spots on his back. This caterpillar was actually on the black asphalt . I swept him onto the grass as well and smiled. No guilt this time. Okay, now I’m really beginning to think that the Lord is saying something here as there was a THIRD caterpillar scurrying along. But this caterpillar was on the edge of the gutter, making his way onto the grass! Smart, little caterpillar!

What’s The Lord Saying?
As I rounded the curve to my street, I thought about the funny caterpillar with all those feet, hurrying and scurrying around. I thought about all of the people I know who are struggling. Some are on the way to their destiny, others are headed in the right direction, but just a little bit “off target”, and still others don’t have a clue which way to go. My prayer was for them to find their destiny in Him. Lord, help them to cocoon themselves in You. Wrap your love around them and nourish them so they might be transformed by their encounter with You.

As an intercessor, there was a lesson in my interaction with all three caterpillars.

• (gutter) I might see that some are very purposeful, but headed in the wrong direction. They might want to avoid what I have to say, but my prayers can “lift” them into safety.
• (asphalt) Don’t hesitate if you know they will die in the direction they’re going.
• (transition to grass) Bless them in their progress.