Just one of millions!
This photo was taken on Great Keppel Island which is located east of Rockhampton, on the central coast of Queensland. We went for a week’s holiday to Great Keppel Island to recuperate after surgery.
During our walks around this beautiful island, we were overwhelmed with the vision of millions of Blue Wanderer butterflies flying in from over the ocean and landing in the trees beside the walking tracks. They gave true meaning to the concept of overcoming struggle (flying over the ocean) and being safe (resting in the trees on the island).
View of the Pacific Ocean from Great Keppel Island
I want to share with you some words from a photocopied piece of paper given to me after someone saw my logo of the hands and the butterfly. I don’t know who the author is, but have copied this part of it exactly how it was given to me.
On ‘answers’ at Yahoo – a young woman has typed in that a butterfly is symbolic of the soul and the resurrection of Christ. (I had never heard this before! – [me either]) Apparently, the meaning is derived from the three stages of life of the butterfly – the caterpillar, the chrysalis and the butterfly. They symbolize life, death and resurrection.
I am not sure if this is true but it felt true for me! And so I thought I would run with it. Another comment on Yahoo answers from Adonai, indicated that it was a transformation – “a resurrected person does not just come back to life but is transformed. That’s what makes the butterfly symbol an apt one — a caterpillar looks nothing like a butterfly. But after a period of “entombment” in a chrysalis, it emerges into a glorious new life.”
What a lovely way to look at the ‘dark’, tomb-like times in our lives. To see them as incubations. A time of re-formation. Re-structuring. Think about it – a caterpillar makes a chrysalis and then it must dematerialize, completely break down, and out of the same substance a totally new creature is created and emerges.
Idyllic beach on Great Keppel Island
Did you know that the emerging butterfly must struggle to get out of its ‘tomb’? Do you recall the story of a man who watched a butterfly struggle and struggle to break through its cocoon and finally, to help it, he cut the top of the cocoon. Just a fraction to make the hole bigger so the butterfly could have an easier journey. The butterfly was soon out but deformed badly. Its body was huge and wings small and floppy. It died shortly afterwards. I don’t know where the story originated but its meaning is profound.
Apparently, the struggle is critical for pushing fluid out of the body of the butterfly into its wings giving them strength and shape. Taking away that struggle did not help at all. Sometimes we need to go through that struggle. We don’t know that its necessary for our new beauty to be formed.
The daunting hike on Great Keppel
It makes the struggle or incubation much more exciting!
So it seems to me we have 4 periods really.
1. Life as we know it.
2. Then ‘death’, or a time of ‘darkness’ – or maybe even just a time of withdrawing and contemplation followed by;
3. a necessary struggle with the emergence of our transformed state. Then the glorious creature begins a new life.
4. And then it happens all over again!
Exciting!
How many different butterflies will you be in your lifetime?
Sunset off Great Keppel Island
The surgery journey can also be compared with the journey of the butterfly.
Stage 1: caterpillar - being told that you need to have surgery.
Stage 2: chrysalis - having surgery and going through the healing process.
Stage 3: butterfly - healing complete and you are transformed into a healthy, vital, life-loving person.
Remember: wherever you are on your butterfly journey … there will be transformation and you will find you have an inner strength that is your island to land on in times of need. Rest awhile – but don’t be afraid to leave the safety of your island and fly over the ocean of life feeling the fear, but doing it anyway. This is called LIVING.
Great Keppel Island Resort
You don’t need to go to Great Keppel Island to recuperate or get some R & R – but please do consider going somewhere that is free from the outside world.
When we were on Great Keppel Island, we couldn’t use our mobile phones. We didn’t have TV. And we didn’t have the internet. The powerful healing that occurred from the absence of these apparent life necessities was profound. And one that we choose to do again and again.
Find yourself a place where you can give all your energy to recuperating, resting, and rejuvenating in nature without life’s apparent modern necessities. You, too, will heal profoundly.
If you liked these pictures you might like these greeting cards, too.
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