Ezra is one of those rare and wonderful children, at least in my experience, who can still nap after age one without ruining bedtime. He enjoys his nap time and will tell you when he’s ready for bed. He points to his room and says bye bye to everyone. Even at my house, we have our routine. Today, as we started into his room, he noticed that the ceiling fan was not running. Once all was as it should be, he went into his crib without a fuss.
While he’s napping, Amelia and I enjoy some one on one time, the kind of time we had before Ezra while mom was working. I keep an eye out for activities using items around the house for Amelia and I to enjoy together while baby brother is sleeping. Of course we have our usual longer Dr Seuss stories to read, swings outside, the dirt kitchen on the front porch, or the playroom upstairs. Sometimes, however, I try to have something special planned.
One day last week, we roamed the yard together collecting fallen leaves to make a caterpillar. Mostly I collected leaves while she strung them together on a chenille stem anchored by a face cut from recycled cardboard. I only needed to show her once how to thread them. So today when I pulled together more random items, a sheet of cardboard, Elmer’s glue and crepe paper streamers, I asked her what shape she’d like to decorate.
Not being gifted artistically, I offered a heart, a butterfly, or a tree, given our pink and orange bits for gluing. She chose a butterfly so I cupped my hands around hers and with the glue, we outlined a pattern. I learned several new things about Amelia while watching her work. When she had nearly used all of the light pink swatches, she said, “We don’t have enough glue for these colors, Yolly.” I suggested she mix the colors, only to realize that wasn’t going to be an option.
Once she switched to the darker pink, I pointed out plenty of glue oozing out from the edges. She must have still been concerned that there was not enough because she began folding the pieces to fit the size of the glue spots. We finally added more glue for the orange, at which point she announced that she was finished and I could do the rest. With a little convincing, we worked together until all the crepe paper was gone. She added some gemstone stickers while I attached the antennae before sharing her creation with her mom.
“Wow!” Valentina remarked. “Amelia’s caterpillar turned into a butterfly!” The connection hadn’t occurred to me but before I could comment, Amelia parried, “No it didn’t! It’s still on the porch.”
Metamorphosis is an observable biological process in nature. It is also a spiritual process described in scripture in various ways. Darkness to light, death to life, crucifixion and resurrection, lost and found, and even as a wild olive branch grafted into a cultivated tree or a branch attached to a vine. (Acts 26:18, II Corinthians 4:6-7, Romans 6:2-11, Galatians 2:20, John 1:15, Romans 11:24, Luke 15:32)
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2co.5.17.NLT
While salvation comes to each person by faith in Jesus in an instant, sanctification, the outworking of the Spirit of God is a lifelong process. Jacob became Israel after a night spent wrestling with God but God’s plan for him was in place before the foundation of the world because Christ would come through his line. The same is true for every person who receives God’s gift of salvation in Jesus. God has good plans for each of us and He offers salvation as a free gift. Once we receive Him, He begins the work of remaking us into the image of His beloved Son, Jesus.
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.1.4-5.NLT
“God chose him (Jesus) as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.”
1 Peter 1:20 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1pe.1.20.NLT
Before his birth, Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, felt twins struggling within her. When she asked the Lord about why this was happening, the Lord answered.
“And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations.
From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals.
One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.””
Genesis 25:23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.25.23.NLT
Jacob’s abrupt departure from Canaan, the land of promise and place of his birth, followed a cleverly devised deception, his mother’s idea, to gain his father, Isaac’s blessing which rightfully belonged to his older brother, Esau. The Lord had said the older would serve the younger, Rebekah reasoned. God’s purposes are not helped or thwarted by our meddling. Jacob went along with his mother’s plan and ended up running for his life.
I listened to a commentary on Genesis recently that pointed to two passages which beautifully depict the change God brings in a heart fully surrendered to Him. In the first, Jacob prayed as he approached Haran, his mother’s home country after dreaming of a stairway reaching heaven. In his dream, God spoke graciously to him, passing His covenant with Abraham and Isaac on to Jacob. Jacob’s reply was conditional.
“Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God.”
Genesis 28:20-21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.28.20-21.NLT
By contrast, as he approached Canaan and his brother Esau many years later, his prayer to God sounded very different.
“I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant.
When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick.
Now my household fills two large camps!”
Genesis 32:10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.32.10.NLT
When “if You will” becomes “I am not worthy,” we assume a proper posture before God. This is what growth looks like, evidence that God’s Spirit has been fanned into flame and not quenched. (II Timothy 1:6-7, I Thessalonians 5:19)
“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life.
He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 1:9 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2ti.1.9.NLT
“Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”
Ephesians 4:24 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.4.24.NLT
“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.3.3.NLT
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:2 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.12.2.NLT
“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:10, 12, 16-17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.3.10-17.NLT
“For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end.
Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”
1 Peter 1:23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1pe.1.23.NLT
“For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.2.10.NLT
This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:”
Revelation 3:14 NLT
Tasha Layton NEVER https://youtu.be/nszKM-NF4nA?si=1RsrAspe8meovllg
Jeremy Camp NO SURVIVORS https://youtu.be/a6QSojAFmZ8?si=gbHuO2BkemhC9RDq
Lauren Daigle LET IT BE A HALLELUJAH https://youtu.be/BvfPK0gCdUc?si=I8PgEyHvgTkU2c0z
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