Butterflies

LEARNING TO FLY

I have been walking in this new paradigm of Torah-observance for a few years now. Immediately upon learning the truth, however, I wanted to fly! I had to share! Everyone needed to hear this! Instead I have learned the metamorphosis from Christian to Hebrew has some stages along the way. It is a bit like becoming a butterfly. Although I thought that turning back to Torah and away from the traditions of men had transformed me into a butterfly, I find that I still need to learn how to fly.

Let me back up a little. I grew up in a Christian home. I was a caterpillar, crawling along, learning about the gospel and church doctrine. It wasn’t a conscious decision, it was who I was, who I learned to be based on my upbringing. It fed me, but it didn’t turn me into a butterfly. When I finally took that deliberate step to accept the doctrines I had been learning, I suppose it was my cocoon stage. I wrapped myself up in doctrine, and declared publicly that I was a follower of my Lord and Savior. I even read the Bible sometimes, but there was little sense of urgency. I was all snug within my graceful cocoon…just waiting for ‘someday’ when I would shed this mortal coil and be in heaven. I didn’t look like a butterfly and I definitely wasn’t flying.

AN AWAKENING

Then, one day I was awakened from my snug, stagnant cocoon. That was the day when I saw Michael Rood’s video, The Jonah Code. It changed my life! Suddenly, there were answers to things that I had wondered about since I was a child! It was like discovering gold! I was so excited and overwhelmed by this glorious Truth that I couldn’t wait to share it with everyone I met! I emerged from my cocoon with my wings – and a bazooka loaded with information!!!!

Unfortunately, my wings, although a definite improvement from my cocooned existence, were not ready to carry the load. Instead of being “wet behind the ears” I was weighed down with soggy wings! The potential for flight was there, but I was ahead of the curve.

I learned almost immediately that not everyone would be as thrilled to learn the truth as I was! I fluttered a lot but never got anywhere. I even had some of my friends and family get out their fly-swatters to dampen my enthusiasm. I was called a heretic! I was called a false teacher! It must be a cult! Everyone I met (it seemed) was totally offended by the notion that we had grown up with inherited lies, and it was my fault for pointing it out.

It took a while and some lost friends for me to recognize that not everyone was ready to hear these wonderful truths that I had discovered. Certainly not from the receiving end of the bazooka I was wielding! I had my wings, but I was not ready to fly. Maybe my wings needed some testing first?

NOT ALONE

I have noticed this phenomenon among many of the like-minded people I have met since beginning this Torah-observant life. Our enthusiasm is boundless! A little knowledge and we launch! We all think that the truth will speak for itself, and everyone will want to hear about the latest discovery in Hebrew Roots, or how to follow the Feasts, or pronounce the Name. They’ll be grateful for the brick-bat up the side of their head as you tell them that Christmas and Easter are pagan festivals and an abomination! The truth, and your correction, will be welcome!

Instead this enthusiasm is met with broken relationships, alienated families and isolation. What’s worse: maybe we have turned people away from hearing the truth!

To mix my metaphors, we got our wings but no bells were ringing!

BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies don’t dive-bomb the flower bed! They don’t land with such force that the flowers are flattened and don’t know what hit them. On the contrary, their continued existence relies on the butterfly to bring pollen to their hearts. It shouldn’t be a physical assault, but a welcome visit!

Butterflies flutter. Just like the Ruach was described as fluttering over the face of the waters in Genesis.

Butterflies are beautiful! Where did that beauty come from? Was it anything the caterpillar did? We are His creation! We are all a little different, but equipped to fly if we take the time to test our wings.

How do we do that? What is it that lifts us?

WHAT ENABLES FLIGHT?

I remember a movie called Butterflies are Free. It is hard to imagine anything more lovely than a butterfly being carried along by a breeze. Free as a breeze.

What is it that makes us free? According to scripture, the Truth will make us free. (John 8:32, 36)

We are lifted by His spirit, and that should make us free! Paul says we are free from the bondage to sin and death! (Romans 8:2) We can be lifted away from the world, just as a butterfly is lifted away from the earth and carried on the wind. But, we still need the wind underneath our wings!

We should be riding that breath of air, a scatterer of pollen, a vehicle carried by the spirit of YHVH to others! That’s the important part! The spirit that lifts us and carries us along!

AIR-WORTHY

We haven’t learned how to fly yet! We are beating the air, and others, with huge flaps but not getting anywhere! The trick, as I see it now, is to pump up those wings. By that I mean we need to learn how to walk in Torah with humility. Only then will our wings spread and become light enough for flight. Let your wings dry a bit. Get them air-worthy so that He is able to lift you up.

Once we have learned the Torah of love, our wings will be visible to everyone!

Let’s fly lightly! Soaringly! Delicately! Drop by a few flowers, but don’t stay all day! Just long enough to scatter a little pollen; do your job to spread the truth. Give a few flaps of your wings, and soar away before they know you’ve been there. Maybe they’ll even look forward to your return! Let your flight be the witness! As a friend of mine says, “preach always and, if necessary, use words.”

Let Him be the one that guides you. All you can do is visit the flowers; you cannot make them grow! Let Him turn that visit into a planted seed or another butterfly – He is the only one who can! Before we head out to pollinate the entire world, let’s take time to get our own wings air-worthy.

HOW DO WE LEARN TO FLY?

Let’s pray. Let’s study. Let’s learn to walk the Torah as He walked. Let the Word do what it is designed to do and transform us into being more like Him. Let Him establish the fruits of the spirit within us! Then we will be ready when the wind lifts us up to carry us in His will.

And always, ALWAYS, be the beautiful winged creature that He created you to be! Our flight might be the only time someone will see the transformative power of YHVH.

Arm yourself with truth, but leave the bazooka at home.