The Cycle Of Life

As we continue on a blessed journey through life, we become more aware of the many cycles of life that surround us. For me from a human stand point, I have experienced the birth of a my grandchildren and the death of a parent. I can’t help but be excited for all the wonderful things in life we get to experience as we go through this cycle. Knowing that God has plans for each and every one of us makes it that much more exciting. In nature there are thousands of plant and animal life cycles to be observed every day. Nature can provide some amazing opportunities to see some impressive paintings only God can display.

As a retired elementary school teacher, my wife provides some creative opportunities for our older grandchild. Pulling from annals of lesson plans, she chose the life cycle of the butterfly since it presented itself in our own kitchen garden. Her classes used to draw and journal about the stages of the butterfly. Starting with the egg and continuing with the larvae or caterpillar stage, next comes the pupae or chrysalis followed by the emergence of the adult butterfly. It all climaxes with the release of the butterflies back into the wild.

Our back yard has become a haven for butterflies as we have a lot of plants that attract and host butterfly life cycles. The Passion Vine on our fence, which is a host to the Gulf Fritillery butterfly, is attracting new prospects every day. You can see the yellow eggs deposited by the adults and easily harvest the larvae to feed and observe. The fennel plant in her kitchen herb garden was recently covered with many swallowtail larvae that devoured the plant in a couple of days. She transferred them to a container and fed them well until the chrysalides began to form. What a great science lesson for a young child to watch and wait as the caterpillars journeyed on through the stages of becoming adult butterflies.

I decided to document the cycle with my camera and to preserve the amazing reaction of a young child, my granddaughter, as we set them free after they emerged from their chrysalides. I have to admit, my wife and I were having just as much fun as our granddaughter watching and waiting for the colorful butterflies to emerge.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for everything under the heavens.”

Take some time and identify those cycles of life that are surrounding you today. Stop and enjoy the beauty they provide. Appreciate the precious moments you have. Many will pass you by if you let them.

God bless you and thanks for reading my blog!

Enjoy the video and feel free to share it with others. If you would like some more information on how you can harvest and feed the caterpillars on their journey to becoming a butterfly, you can contact me through my word press e-mail.

Sincerely,

Tim Lumpkin

Instagram: @tlump10

Youtube: Legacy-outdoors

Blog: Legacy-Outdoors.net