I don’t know whether you have seen our new mascot. He is really quite cute – mostly green with a very red face and a rainbow of colors down his back from his head to his bottom. You can purchase a replica of him and a book about him at Kohl’s for five dollars each. I am talking about the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the stuffed toy that goes with it. This is not a promotion for Kohl’s, but a reminder that God gives us a hunger for his Word.
The Word I am talking about is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. I believe we all have a desire to change, to grow, and to become better than we already are. Through Jesus we can experience transformation – not just any transformation, but a transformation which will make us as God would have us be. This transformation does not happen automatically; we do not just evolve. It comes from outside of us and requires a commitment from us to begin and to continue to change.
This caterpillar did what was natural, which was eat. In the story, the caterpillar ate through good things and not very good things. He did what was natural, but he still had to make choices about what to eat, just as we need to make choices about how we will use our time to enhance, or stunt, our growth. The more choices we make which honor God and help us grow in our relationship with Jesus, the more healthy we will become.
What choices are you making today which feed your hunger and help you to grow more like the person God wants you to be? The caterpillar had a day, a Saturday, when everything he ate was that which was not good for caterpillars. He ended up with a stomachache, but the next day, Sunday, he ate his normal good food, which was a green leaf. He felt much better. I think it is appropriate that he reconnected with the food which was to help him the most on Sunday.
So maybe this Sunday would be a good day to reconnect with the One who made you and wants the best for you. Perhaps this Sunday you could join us at John Knox Presbyterian Church and start, or restart, your journey to become the person God wants you to be. Come grow with us, and someday we will emerge from our cocoons and celebrate the joy-filled life as new creations, like the caterpillar who became a beautiful butterfly.
Trying to eat good things with you,
Pastor Randy
