Colleen loves her butterflies—swallowtails and monarchs. She nurtures them from the moment their tiny eggs hatch, through their caterpillar days, into the miraculous chrysalis stage, and finally releases them as fully formed beauties into the open air.
I’ve watched the bond she forms with them. One swallowtail even returned after being set free, landing gently on her shoulder as if to say, “Thank you for caring for me.”
But last week, something tragic happened. One of her beloved swallowtails wandered into our garage, where fly paper hangs in the window to catch pests. The butterfly became trapped—its delicate wings held fast. There was no escape. For Colleen, it felt like losing a member of the family.
It’s strange, maybe, to grieve over an insect. But God’s beauty is woven into all creation, and these fragile creatures had brought her absolute joy. The loss stung.
And yet, isn’t that how life works? We soar for a while… until we get stuck. Stuck in sin. Stuck in bitterness. Stuck in fear. At first, we think we’re just brushing up against something harmless. But like that fly paper, the trap holds tight.
Scripture warns us about this. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” Galatians 5:1 reminds us that “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free”—but we must “not let ourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
We weren’t created to cling to the window frame, wings bound. We were made to fly.
If you feel stuck today—whether in a destructive habit, a toxic relationship, or the weight of shame—remember that Jesus came “to proclaim freedom for the captives” (Luke 4:18). He knows how to gently lift you from the sticky places and set you free again.
Because a life with your wings outstretched, catching the wind of the Spirit, is precisely the life God intended for you.
And that’s the mid-week memo.
Steve
