PLAN + PROCESS = PURPOSE

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

 My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

 Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!

    How vast is the sum of them!

 Were I to count them,

    they would outnumber the grains of sand—

    when I awake, I am still with you.

-Psalm 139:13-18

I am thrilled to announce that we are the new proud owners, again, of  "Butterfly World" Annual Passes. I love that place! At just the right time you see thousands of butterflies flying throughout the aviary. I gleaned some parenting lessons walking through, as I observed the life cycle of the butterfly. Butterflies are beautiful to watch and there is a cycle each caterpillar goes through in order to make it to the end....soaring through the air in all its beauty for all to see. Sometimes we see the beautiful creature and forget there was a process that occurred before ever seeing the beauty. Just like in parenting!

A butterfly doesn't start out as a butterfly but as a caterpillar with a process and plan, that is needed in order to fulfill it's purpose. As I meandered through Butterfly World I was reminded of how my children are very much like the butterfly.  If I look at my kids as a "process" it causes me to pause and realize this is not the "end product"(butterfly) but just the cycle/season they must go through to get to the next part of His plan.

Remember...

God has a 

PLAN,

PROCESS,

and

PURPOSE

for our children

Just as a caterpillar must feed on leaves for growth, as a parent I must feed my my child the Word filled with Truth to see growth as well. I must allow those cycles to happen even when it is uncomfortable and trying. Many lessons our little ones learn will be those truths they teach others with later. Once our children have eaten the Truth, our prayer is that they will attach themselves to the TREE of Life, Jesus, (just as the chrysalis above attaches to the branch) and wrapped by the Holy Spirit causing them be ready to soar for His glory as a beautiful example of His creation...just like the butterflies.

There are many phases that the Lord brings them through with a very specific purpose in mind. There will be phases we don't understand but must believe our Creator knows the reason and trust in that. Sometimes I don't like the process that my child is going through because it causes me heartache and pain. It causes me to be stretched. In those times I must cling to Christ- trusting His plan and purpose is good.  Parenting is a sanctifying process that causes us to rely more and more on Christ...but isn't that our PURPOSE here on earth :)

What lesson is the Lord teaching your child right now? 

What is HE teaching you about your child through this process? 

Trust. Pray. Read His Word. Look for the beauty in the process. Remember you have the most amazing  opportunity....to raise up the NEXT GENERATION for CHRIST!! Don't give up!