Cocooned for Metamorphosis

This morning I was struggling. That in itself doesn’t bother me: I know from everything God showed me about Jacob last year that wrestling – clinging on to God through dark, painful and confusing times – can bring great blessings and can release us into new callings. And as I was reading the other day in John 12:27, Jesus’ own soul was troubled as the time for His crucifixion drew near. As Alicia Britt Chole says on day 21 in her excellent book, 40 Days of Decrease, this was a “deeply significant moment on Jesus’ journey of becoming ‘obedient to death – even death on a cross’ (Phil 2:8). And in the midst of Jesus’ journey He felt troubled. Clearly then, a troubled soul is not always the sign of a faith deficit. A troubled soul is sometimes the signature of obedience-in-the-making”.

So although I don’t exactly enjoy the seasons of struggling like the one I’m currently in, I do know that all is well – it hasn’t affected how God sees me one bit. I may be irritating myself with overthinking and my own weaknesses, but He still has nothing but love for me, and that keeps me anchored and (mostly) sane. So I wrote down all the things that are currently bugging me – there are several – in my journal, and asked Him to guide me through. He always has and always does guide me, but still it takes a huge amount of effort to resist the feelings of overwhelm and seek Him in the mess. Maybe I’m fickle. Maybe all humans are. I’m just so glad He isn’t!

Anyway, after I’d written my questions and struggles down, I prayed a bit more – mostly in tongues, because when I don’t trust my own understanding it is such a relief to be able to bypass my mind and allow the Holy Spirit to direct my prayers in perfect accordance with God’s will (Rom 8:26). And as I prayed, I felt prompted to turn to 2 Corinthians, chapter 3. I love the way God’s Word is eternally true, relevant and applicable to modern, individual problems. As I read through the chapter He gave very specific reassurances & answers to specific issues that I had just written down – He is so faithful! And then – the main point of today’s post – He started speaking words to me as an individual that I knew were for the wider Body of Christ too.

It started as I read the last verse in the chapter:
“We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18 TPT)

The word translated as ‘transfigured’ there is the Greek word metamorphoo. As I saw that word it immediately brought to mind a caterpillar undergoing metamophosis, and I sensed God speaking…

What I felt Him say to us was this:
“Make the most of this season to come away with Me – it is an uncomfortable season of uncomfortable process. You are like caterpillars that have been eating and eating – only consuming until fit to burst – and have now entered a hidden cocoon of isolation where no-one but I can see the secret process that is transforming My people from greedy little earth-bound caterpillars into glorious butterflies, designed to reflect my beauty, to reproduce, and to fly!
Embrace this cocooning season, beloved. As the caterpillar inside a chrysalis turns to mush and the old (wine)skin is removed, only its DNA is left intact as it is re-formed. It is not a comfortable process, and leaves you feeling as if you don’t know which way is up. But it is My designed process, and I will bring you to greater joy and freedom. The time is almost here for you to spread your wings and fly!”

I don’t know of many places in the world that are not in some form of lock-down at present, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Never before have we seen people across the world shut away – or cocooned – in their homes to this extent. We know that Covid-19 is not of God, but we also know He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28) – and I firmly believe He is working something good right now, even though we might feel like we don’t know which way is up.
I’ve heard so many different words and prophecies about what this outbreak means and how we should respond to it, and to be honest, I don’t know anyone who has God’s complete revelation on it. It’s still pretty confusing (it is ‘new’ after all, or as many are saying, ‘unprecedented’!). But where I might have been tempted to think that this season of isolation would grant a temporary reprieve from the issues I was facing, I can now see that God is using this season of confusion and isolation to bring us through a season of metamorphosis where all the old ‘wineskin’ of our earth-bound trappings, and everything but His DNA will be removed, until we emerge, glorious and released to multiply and soar in the Spirit, for the sake of His Kingdom.

Which all puts my little struggles into perspective, really!