Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Incomplete Molt; Restricted Life

monarch caterpillar larva molt shed skin













Molting is a normal process for caterpillars. As they grow, they must molt (shed their old skin) to grow larger. If they do not molt they will die.

Sometimes a caterpillar will start to molt but some of the old cuticle (skin) will stick. Usually, when it doesn't properly molt, it will die.

If a caterpillar doesn't molt at all, it will die due to restriction all over it's body. It is totally bound up in it's 'old self'.

Sometimes the skin will cause a restricted area around it's body. As the caterpillar grows, the circle of old skin restricts one area of its body. That one area stays the same circumference. In time, it cannot function properly and will die.

monarch larva caterpillar incomplete molt













The arrow in the above photo indicates an area where skin stayed completely around the caterpillar. It is restricted and cannot grow at this point. The front and back of the caterpillar will grow, but it will have a 'waist', not how God designed caterpillars!

If you look at only the front part or rear part of this caterpillar, it would look normal.

I wonder; is that how I am? Does my character look 'normal' when people only look at part of me? What is restricting me in one area that is keeping me from functioning as God intended? Or are there several rings of things I have let bind me in areas?

As I look back over my life, I see where I did shed things that once restricted me.

One of those things is that as long as I am concerned with what God thinks of me, I have learned to not care what others think in certain situations. Sometimes obeying God makes others think badly of us. I have learned to let go of concern about how I appear to people and instead be concerned about what God thinks of me and also how I reflect God to others.

7 comments:

  1. Edith I want to thank you so much for your blog. I have been doing research on butterflies, I must have 20 internet explorer windows open and somehow found you. You took a huge passion of mine (butterflies) and used it to pull me back into God. WOW did I need that!! I am not nearly as close to God as I should and want to be. Recently I struggle for time for much of anything, a newly single mom, full time employee, being ill, plus my schooling and being house keeper - I can't lie I struggle to keep strength. I know I do much better with God, not just in my life but right next to me. I struggle with many of the same things you struggle with as well. Patience is huge for me right now. Me and my daughter love butterflies, raising them, keeping them safe, etc. I want to go bigger with raising them, but I feel with everything so busy in my life I could never do it. I am 26 I want my schooling done, I want a good job, I want a house...my anxiety grows. But today you really reminded me about God's plans for my life. God's plans for my stability will come when He is ready, not me. It has really help me calm down so much, I desperately needed that - so thank you! Please feel free to Email me, I would love to talk to you more.

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    1. Jen, I've just seen this comment. I'm so sorry! Please email me at edith@shadyoakbutterflyfarm.com. I hope things are much better for you now. Please write! ~Edith

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  2. God doesn't exist, so this is just silly. I like the info about caterpillars molting, though.

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    1. Thank you for commenting about liking the molting info, even if you didn't believe in God when you wrote it. I don't know if you believe in God now or not. I hope you've met him and have gotten to know him.

      Thank you, Edith

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. I would be interested in using the top photograph in a butterfly life cycle unit I am creating. It would be on a vocabulary card for the word "molt". I will be selling this unit on a website called "Teachers Pay Teachers". Please let me know if this would be acceptable to you.

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    1. Jaymie, please send your email address to edith@shadyoakbutterflyfarm.com and I'll send you an image with our copyright on it. We allow them to be used only if we have our copyright. Thanks for asking! ~Edith

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