Our Very Hungry Caterpillar

In an empty lot near our house, my daughters discovered two tiny (and very hungry) caterpillars.  Being fascinated with science and quick to fall in love, my oldest daughter made a household decision that they would become our pets.

We placed them in a Tupperware bowl, provided a steady supply of milkweed, and watched them grow from tiny specks to big fat caterpillars.  Reese even posed with one for photos.

Only one of them is still alive.  (I'll spare you the gruesome details that involved the Tupperware bowl crashing violently off the kitchen counter.)  Two nights ago, this caterpillar was doing his normal caterpillar routine, which involved remaining mostly motionless on a milkweed leaf.

By yesterday morning, he had positioned himself upside down on the lid, just dangling.  My daughter stared at him as she ate her cereal.  Mom, I've already told my teacher all about our caterpillar.  He said I could bring it in to show everyone.  And that's how my daughter ended up carrying a caterpillar in a Tupperware bowl onto the bus on the second day of school.

Yesterday afternoon she came bounding home. Look!  He's in his chrysalis!

And I looked.  And he was.  And suddenly, even though I know that metamorphosis occurs, I was absolutely mystified.  So were the girls.  Could this really be?

It all happened during our math lesson, Reese said.

I hope that I never forget how God can bring change -- such profound, life-altering change -- even in the midst of the most normal circumstances.

He's going to be a beautiful butterfly.