Unshackled Moments ~ January 6 ~ The Caterpillar's Wake

Yesterday I used the butterfly analogy to take us through step seen of the twelve steps to freedom from bondage. As we go on to step eight I will continue the analogy. Caterpillars eat their way through life until they begin their transformation into the butterfly, leaving holes in the world around them and destruction behind them. We do the same. Before we come to the place of surrender to God we live selfish self centered lives. Yes, we may manage to do some good, but as we look out for number one, we munch our way through life leaving holes and destruction in the world and the lives around us, Unlike the caterpillar we cannot simply transform and go on as though that old life never existed. There is the burden of guilt and shame that simply knowing we are forgiven by God does not completely alleviate.  Also the other caterpillars and butterflies remember our past and it hinders our ability to bring life and be of service.

The work we did to reach this point will have brought to mind damage we have done and people we have hurt. In order to be of maximum service to God and others and in order to be totally free, we must accept responsibility and acknowledge what we've done/ Another way to say this is that we make a list of people we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all. Yes, in order to be free we must do more than simply turn away from our old way of life. We have to be willing to make things right as much as possible. This is not to earn our forgiveness. God forgives us already, and those we hurt may not ever do so. This is to verify that we are becoming something different than what we were, It gets our wreckage out of the way so that something better can be built. It reminds us that our actions have consequences and makes us think before we act selfishly, and it opens the door to show to those who have seen us at our worst to see the power and glory of God in the lives of those who are willing to let Him have control. Making things right, seeking to do more than mumble an apology can be the greatest witness we have of the better way of life that we have found, We need not shy away from this, sometimes embarrassing part of the process.

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