The beautiful monarch butterfly is a miracle so appropriate during the season of Lent. Watching this fragile creature makes me think of us and Jesus. The monarch is tireless, fluttering around looking for just the right leaf upon which to lay her eggs, making sure that those eggs have the nourishment they need to become what they were meant to be. Jesus spent his last three years in ministry, hoping that his message would rest on just the right hearts to produce fruit, especially when He was gone from their sight.

When the egg becomes a caterpillar, this tiny defenseless creature hopefully has enough milkweed to grow into the next phase of its development. When we are baptized, we are given God’s grace to start our journey to Christian maturity. But what about those things that could harm the caterpillar? This little creature has a lot to overcome before it morphs into a beautiful butterfly. And it’s the same with us. There are days when there is no light at the end of the tunnel. We want to give up. But in truth, there is nowhere else to go; Jesus is the answer to everything.

So, we have a purpose, just like the butterfly. The monarch may look like it’s fluttering around aimlessly, but I’ll bet it knows exactly what it’s looking for. And while the monarch is beautiful, you are more beautiful to God. You are exactly where you need to be. And your job is to grow and flourish…just like the monarch.

About the author: Previously the priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Lake Placid for 21 years, Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson is now the Priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in LaBelle.