Larvae of Wonder

Today I went for a walk in Holland Park, my favourite park in our neighbourhood, despite the freezing cold weather. The air was crisp with the sun warming up the day after a very cold night. While traipsing around the park to collect more autumn leaves which I use as bookmarks, something captured my attention. It was a small caterpillar positioned upside down while munching on the last of the season’s vine. Surprised to see one at this time of the year, I snapped a photo to share. I then paused and thought to myself, “What would become of the life of this tiny creature with the evenings so cold nowadays? Why would God allow this tiny caterpillar to emerge from its egg to let it be killed by the freezing cold weather?”

I do believe that God gives His children a sense of wonder and curiosity about His beautiful creation. When we open our eyes to see whatever He puts before us, we are reminded of His love and His good plans for us and all of His creation. We know that when sin entered in, that His creation got marred. However, much beauty can still be found. Darkness permeates many parts of the world and people are being robbed of their right to basic freedom. And there are atrocities being committed against men, women, children, and elderly, all over the world at this moment. But death has not been victorious despite what we see in the news. We find evidence showing God is still in control. The caterpillar I saw today serves as a confirmation showing that God still possesses the upper hand.

I did a quick search of what would become of the caterpillar during the winter months. A helpful site British Butterfly reveals that while some species of butterfly hibernate as adults during the cold winter months, others survive the winter as eggs (ova), larvae (caterpillars), or chrysalis (pupae). Thus I am hopeful time will be available between now, late autumn, and winter for the caterpillar to transform into a beautiful butterfly. But in considering if sub-zero winter temperature does happen to kill the creature before it survives to adulthood, I realised God’s purpose for it may have been only for me to see this caterpillar today and consider its reminder to number my days. How many times does God put things in our path or show us something through a circumstance to help us ponder over His thoughts, and we pass them by without noticing?

Today as I spied a small caterpillar and observed the world around me, God has given me an insight that is invaluable to me. And I am so grateful for that. I tried to look at the tiny creature as one made by an omnipotent God. As His children, we should look at things with the spiritual eyes of our heart. He gives us new delights and comforts. We should want to receive all His good gifts and not overlook even one.