Jeremy & Sandy Hudson

It has been 8 years since I felt God begin doing a work in me that I knew was going to radically change my life. I know I’ve shared many times how I was the most unlikely person to get up and teach a group of people. I would break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. Then, over several months, God began dealing with me about what He was calling me to do and be. I felt like a caterpillar going into the transformation of my life. I could not imagine myself doing what God was showing me! I have felt over the last 8 years like I was in a chrysalis.

Over the past 8 years, I have had so many encounters with butterflies… it would always be at times when I would be talking to God and asking Him if He was really sure He wanted to use me in the way I was feeling in my heart. Lo and behold, a butterfly would appear. I could be walking down a path in the mountains, and there was a butterfly fluttering along beside me. I could be sitting in my backyard and again, there was a butterfly fluttering next to me.

While we were in the Chicago area a few weeks ago, my friend Susan had quite a few chrysalis’ hanging in a special place. She had collected the caterpillars and had taken special care to feed them exactly what they needed in order to transform into butterflies. While we were there, I would go and look in these special cages. I noticed how beautiful the chrysalis’ were… but I also noticed that they looked pretty bad by the time the butterfly was about to emerge. In fact, they looked SO bad that it honestly looked like the butterfly was dead. It looked hopeless! There were several times that Susan and I would shake our heads and just say, “Well, I think that one is dead. There’s no way it is going to come out alive.” Later on in the day, one of us would venture out and notice yet another butterfly had emerged! This spoke so much to me!

I believe that there are quite a few of us out there that have been in a chrysalis. Some of us for a few months and some of us for 20 or more years. I believe with all of my heart that now is the time for the butterflies to emerge from their chrysalis’! Many have thought these precious ones were dead…. their dreams were dead… their visions would never happen… BUT LIFE is emerging! And it is BEAUTIFUL! If you have been counted out or you have counted yourself out, I have great news! You’re still alive!!! Come out and fly! The world needs your beauty!

… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isaiah 61:3 [show]Isaiah 61:3 [3]to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.(1) Footnotes 1. [61:3] Or 'that he may display his beauty'

Live Life Loud!