Eye of the Tiger

I was thinking recently of butterflies, but that’s just not very rock’n’roll so I’ll have to approach this from another angle!  ……ok……think Rocky, think “eye of the tiger”, that’s a bit better, now think tiger moth and we can begin on my train of thought, next stop , Your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine Station!      
So lets say you’ve started out life as a caterpillar/maggoty-worm/bug, nice. Like all the rest of your species you’re not necessarily much of a looker by most people’s standards, and don’t seem to have much purpose. But hey, build yourself a chrysalis, wait a few days and hey presto you’re a beautiful Moth, and can now spend the rest of your time eating the clothes of those who thought you were ugly! (OK, so this is where the butterfly would have worked better!)
What’s my point? Well, set aside the usual ugly duckling sentiments for a mo and lets look at this phenomenon. All caterpillars are much alike, same background same prospects and all having the ability to make something of/from themselves. A chrysalis isn’t a construction, it’s not made up of things they found lying around, and it’s not a nest. It’s made BY the caterpillar, produced by itself (like silk) and used to create something pretty darn worthwhile (for the caterpillar). Don’t create yourself a chrysalis and you’re snookered, simple as that. Any caterpillars that don’t, just die earlier than they should have and not in the state they were intended to be in.

So, life’s not going to go on forever and sorry to get all serious but we’re all gonna die eventually. So, what have we done that is going to help the change from life into death. We all have something inside us that we can either choose to ignore and die (end of story) or we can actually produce something that means not death(end of story) but a change for us. For a Christian, death is not the end, and life is just a training ground for what comes next. Only those things that we have done for Christ and his kingdom, using the unique gifts which he has put inside all of us will matter when that day comes. What have we done with our gifts that has really made a difference? what have we done that means something? What have we done that will last?......Anything? I refer back to the fate of the tiger moth!

Death isn’t something to be feared, it is a defeated foe, defeated by Christ at Calvary. It’s sting lost, the victory of the grave over our souls is gone, death is a shadow of it’s former self. David (not me) wrote “though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I will fear no evil!”  …….My (nearly) 2 year old daughter could teach us all a thing or two. She wave’s to her shadow and kisses it goodnight before going to bed in her own dimly lit room, she has no fear of shadows. She has accepted that they are there but her parents words have told her that they cannot harm her and that she will rise in the morning to a new day despite their presence in the night. Our heavenly father has likewise told us not to fear the shadow of death, and that if we are faithful to Him and His cause and use our gifts to create something worthwhile for his glory, that we too will rise again some morning. A transition, from what we are now to what He will make us to be.

So, why is this gift within us wasting away? Time is getting really short these days. If death comes to us, are we ready? If we are blessed enough not to see death it is because the Master of this house will return before then to reward his servants for what they have created with the talents he gave to them. In the light of this, young Christian, have you done enough? Can you stand beside what you have done and say here are thy five pounds master and they have gained five more for you’re glory?...........I think it’s time I stopped writing and got out there! In the light of these questions we have all fallen short of the glory of God, lets get out among our peers and let them see us building something that will stand the test of the transition called death.

God Bless,

David.

To read previous word for now click title below:

Patience: the one commodity that we don’t seem to have