A Lesson in Leadership from Caterpillars
I got the most interesting gift for Mother’s Day. A friend’s daughter was working at a butterfly farm; I never even knew butterfly farms existed until she began working there. She thought I might like some caterpillars, so she procured me a small, clear solo cup full of little creepy crawlies. She is a very thoughtful young lady.
As it turns out, I am not a fan of caterpillars, yet I was thrilled with the gift. You see, when I looked in the cup, I did not just see creepy crawlies, I saw potential butterflies. I love butterflies!
I was not prepared to be the caretaker of caterpillars since it was a surprise. So, I started with what I had, a cup of caterpillars crawling around in their food and a very short pamphlet. I read the information in the pamphlet and did what it said, “Watch carefully! Your caterpillars will shed their exoskeletons several times as they grow!.” I also told anyone who would listen and shared the caterpillars with any coworker or friend who was around.
After a couple of days, I wondered how long it would take for them to harden into chrysalides. So, I started searching the internet. There were a variety of timeframes, which was not helpful; the consensus was 7-14 days.
As I watched these five caterpillars, I found myself caring for them. I wanted them to become the beautiful butterfly God created them to be. I did all I knew to do, which was to watch them. They grew longer and fatter, until finally, they started hanging from the top yet still reaching down to eat food. Then it began, the first one went into chrysalis. I was so excited! Within a couple of days two others were in chrysalis and the last two went in a week later.
The pamphlet said once they hang in a “J” shape and harden into chrysalides it is very important not to handle the cup. If they fall during that time, they will not form a chrysalis and will die without becoming a butterfly. So, I did not move them. The pamphlet also said once the chrysalis is hardened to move them into a larger enclosure. It did not say how to tell when the chrysalis had hardened, which caused quite a dilemma for me. It was around this time that I learned I should have been cleaning their waste out the solo cup on a regular basis.
In a much shorter time than the pamphlet or my internet research suggested, they opened. Butterflies emerged from the chrysalis! Unfortunately, I was not home when this happened, and I had not moved them from the solo cup to the larger enclosure. This proved devastating for one butterfly and debilitating for another. The first butterfly would never fly because one of her wings was shriveled. The second butterfly looked as if he could fly, but could only flutter since his wings were slightly smaller than his counterparts.
This experience reminded me of my development as a Christian and my responsibility to the people I lead.
As a young Christian, I was hungry for God’s Word and God himself. I ate whenever and wherever I could. Thankfully, God gave me a spiritual father in our pastor who kept feeding me. He taught me inductive Bible study and entertained all my questions (if you do not know me, I have a lot of questions). He was a blessing to me and essential to my spiritual growth.
I could say that I happened into leading women, but we know that God placed me exactly where He wanted me to be. I am not the typical woman; I do not drink coffee, nor do I eat chocolate or dairy. These three facts caused many women, and some men, to question my femininity. It seemed strange to me that women’s ministry would be the place for me. To be honest though, children would not have worked well at all. God’s plan is always perfect even when His ways seem mysterious to us.
Much like the caterpillars, I was surprised to be placed in leadership. My only desire was to study God’s Word with other women and honor God with my life in some small way. He gave me more than I imagined.
I had to learn a lot while shepherding the women God had entrusted to me. At the beginning, I could not see potential in the women around me and I may not have loved them as much as I could have if I had seen the potential. In fact, I probably missed their potential because I was unsure about myself. I wondered if my leader had placed me in a spot much greater than God had for me.
I was not always prepared for each woman to become all that God created her to be. I was satisfied with where they were and I did not think there was much I could do to help them to go any deeper in their relationship with God. I still pray for those I may have left with broken or damaged wings.
I didn't always know how to provide the best care as I am not a nurturer or encourager by design. So, I failed to encourage more than I care to say, some of which were living in the muck and I failed to help them clean it out. I still pray for these women.
Do you see the potential that God has placed in the people around you? I have learned this is essential to leadership. Where might you be limiting the people God has entrusted to you? My son’s kindergarten teacher told me to set high expectations for my child knowing he would not always reach it, but he would certainly go higher than if I had set low expectations.
How could you encourage the people you disciple and lead? We all need encouragement, although not all people are encouraged in the same way. Find what encourages the people you disciple and lead then plan to do it.
Where has it been tough to wait? Waiting is tough, whether we are in the check-out line at the store or waiting for change to occur in the people we disciple and lead. In either case, there is very little we can do to move things along. Be active in your waiting. Pray a lot. Encourage them. Ask questions that cause the people you disciple and lead to think deeply. Don’t grow weary (Gal. 6.9).
Are you ready for the next stage of your disciple’s development? How could you prepare? In Conversion and Discipleship, Bill Hull stresses that there are stages to change (Chapters 4 and 5). Are you preparing space for the people you disciple and lead to move in and through each stage?
As disciples who make disciples, we are called to care for the people God has entrusted to us, for the time He has us with them. We are to prepare for them to emerge into what God created them to be. We need to be prepared with a large space for them to spread their wings and fly. And then we, along with God, get to enjoy their beauty.
May I suggest you get your own small, clear solo cup of caterpillars; there is an abundance of spiritual lessons depicted as you care for them.
