Before a butterfly ever takes flight, it first dissolves into something like liquid inside the chrysalis. We see the cute caterpillar and the beauty of that butterfly, but we miss the messy middle.

Monarch butterflies are especially interesting as they fly south for the winter. While most of the monarchs only live two to three weeks, there are also some, called Methuselah monarchs that live 6 to 8 months.

These are the butterflies that make that trek to the mountains of Michoacán. They delay reproducing, their sole focus is migrating. Can you even imagine? These tiny beings go all the way from North America to the mountains of Mexico. Witnesses claim the trees are orange from the thousands of monarchs in them on that mountain.

The mystery of how they get to this particular mountain lies in the antenna of the monarch. They use the position of the sun plus an internal biological clock (yes, their antennae!) to stay on course. On cloudy days they can also detect the earth’s magnetic field to help navigate the trip.

And it’s a good thing they have these tools, because butterflies that arrive in Mexico have never been there before! It takes multiple generations to complete the full migration cycle, yet the final generation somehow “knows” where to go. Utterly amazing!

I can’t help but compare the life and journey of those beautiful monarchs to the life and journey of our Christian walk. In 2 Corinthians, Paul the Apostle describes believers as “being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another,” and in Romans 12 he calls us to have our minds renewed.

Like those monarchs, our transformation unfolds progressively, it is an active, ongoing process. Those messy middle stages we all go through are not failures; they are part of the journey, and they are part of our maturity in Christ. Our transformation involves pain, challenging changes and is often accompanied by loss grief and sorrow, all necessary to reach the completion Paul talks about Philippians 1:6.

I think of those monarchs battling the wind some days and letting it carry them others as they make that journey to the mountains. Isn’t that like us? Some days we feel Yahweh’s presence and it makes everything easier. Then other days we fight the enemy every step of the way, trying to reach that mountain.

Rest, they get it when they get to their destination. Unlike the monarchs, we need rest to continue our journey. But I think we often try to get to our destination, whatever that looks like each season of our lives, without rest, thinking we can rest when we get there. But Jesus reminds us that He is where we get our rest. When we are weary, He will give us rest, rest for our souls. (Matthew 11:28-30)

I am always in awe of creation and the intricate details our Creator used. A tiny little creature gives us joy, pollinates plants, and takes a trek half way around the world. And if God can turn a caterpillar into a butterfly and guide it across a continent, we can trust Him with the messy, unseen work of transforming us into something beautiful.