Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but as I was looking at our caterpillars this morning I thought about just how similar our lives can be to that of the average caterpillar. Last week we received five tiny caterpillars in the mail - we thought they looked awfully small and not capable of much. Within the first three days they had doubled in size, and now, a week later, they have quadrupled in size and one has even climbed to the top of the container and in in its chrysalis.

This past year I have felt EXACTLY like these caterpillars. I have never had such a feeling of change in my entire life. I struggled with recovery from a surgery, and then many health complications afterwards. I was small and helpless. During this struggle, however, I have been growing. I'm old enough now to know when God is working on me - putting obstacles and challenges in my life that test me and also give me endurance. I've been creating my chrysalis recently. Adjusting to life as a homeschooling mom has been HARD. Reclaiming my health has been HARD. Keeping up with the house, laundry, grocery shopping, etc... has been HARD.

Throughout all of it, however, God has placed wonderful friends and family in my life to spur me on and give me the help when it was needed. It has been six months since we pulled our daughter out of school and began homeschooling - now I feel like she and I are turning into butterflies. All of this HARD work is paying off and we are seeing some magnificent rewards. I've heard somewhere that life is hard but God is good. Boy, is this true!

So, as we all prepare to start another week, what stage are you in? Are you the struggling caterpillar? Maybe you are the chrysalis that is preparing to turn into a beautiful butterfly. Or, maybe you have come through the hard times and are flying around sharing your beauty with others. Just something to think about...