Lessons from a butterfly
is transformation is a movement? + announcing a new series
Change doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process, often a messy one.
[ask anyone in addiction or mental health recovery]
The butterfly doesn’t just wake up one fine morning a butterfly.
It goes through a transformative process that is painful and grotesque and oozing.
It survives what’s been described as “butterfly soup.”
[like the first 5 years of sustained recovery…just kidding…maybe]
The process of change or metamorphosis that a butterfly goes through is horrible and ridiculous and miraculous.
How can a slithering, slug of a thing melt in the fire of such a traumatic experience and come out of a pupa (that’s what a caterpillar turns itself into) beaming a glorious and vibrant yellow or blazing sapphire and just like that, it is fluttering and drinking nectar elegantly out of its own personal straw?
That is our experience of transformation too.
It is beautiful.
And takes time.
It’s not just a decision.
Transformation is a movement.
It’s a journey.
A living rhythm.
*
The reason I talk about recovery and resilience is simple: because I’ve lived too many years stuck in the muck of trauma symptoms and undiagnosed post-traumatic stress.
It took me too many years to learn about how my trauma impacted my life. My choices.
Today, I know that freedom can come from gaining knowledge about trauma and the practice of resilience and I have to share this with you. I can only imagine how brilliant and bold your butterfly wings are or will be.
Yes, resilience is a practice —it is not something that builds on its own or appears out of nowhere. It is a process of becoming unstuck. Patching up wounds and creating new pathways.
It is, importantly, not just for women like me who are in addiction and mental health recovery, either.
Photo by Amy Baugess on Unsplash
We are all in recovery from something.
There are tools and actions that equip us to take responsibility for our healing.
We can do simple things that can open up more space for God to work.
We can work toward healing by rolling up our sleeves, putting on our power heels, or (if you are like me) your husband’s baseball cap.
Beware of harking back to what you once were when God wants you to be something you have never been.
- Oswald Chambers
How can the beginning of healing be action?
How can we say to our past: “No, this isn’t going to work anymore,” and then turn towards a different way to live?
We don’t have to get it right to get it right
Even today, we are works in progress, unfinished paintings, a trees riddled with scars but with new shoots and branches growing.
[veering from the butterfly simile, but stay with me]
Even on days when fear is slow to dissipate, we are healing.
True, deep, spiritual healing is happening. The kind of healing that I believe the Apostle Paul is talking about when he says that we are new creations; if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!1
Are you ready?
Exciting announcement about what’s next + Sober October Resources
Hundreds of you (yes, hundreds!) recently answered a survey about what is important to you when it comes to recovery.
I’ve got a new series coming that you dont’t want to miss.
If you are a writer and would like to submit a story or guest post for this series (soon to be shared). Send me a message, too.
You can also join me in person at some exciting upcoming events...
My Fave Sober October Resources:
Christy Osborne’s new book: Love Life Sober
This is a lovely book that will guide you on a faith-based 40-day alcohol fast. Sober curious and want to give #soberoctober a try? Try this book. She’s also running a coaching program that goes along with the book! Click here for more info.
Jenn Kautsch (aka Sober Sis) has a ton of great *free* resources. Everything from a Happy Hour Survival Guide to special #soberoctober tip sheets. Check out all her offerings here.
SAMHSA’s National Substance Use Prevention Resources [#soberoctober also honors this month to prevent substance use, esp among adolescents]
What are some of your faves? Comment below!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Yes to this!! “Transformation is a movement. A living rhythm”
I love thinking about how we move into and with our recovery. It’s not a static thing that happens or an end point. It keeps us fluttering like a butterfly- endless possibilities of where to land next 💞🦋
Totally vibing with you on the 🦋 "butterfly soup" for first 5 years of sustained sobriety! Yes, girl. That describes it perfectly!