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Topic: Celebrating the Cocoon and Preparing for Launch - Joey LeTourneau
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Author
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Julie Gilbert
Senior Member
Joined: 07/29/2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2593
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Posted: 11/14/2012 at 6:12pm
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Celebrating the Cocoon and Preparing for Launch
...to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to
the power that works in us... Ephesians 3:19-20
So many of us, my family and I included, are in a season with needs of
breakthrough. We see the light of God's calling and continue to
persevere with the promises. Inch by inch, day by day, we can keep
taking new ground and believe for all that is ahead. But, are we
slowly scooting away from a place we should be celebrating? Are we
missing our "breakout" while striving for "breakthrough"? We can be
striving, scooting caterpillars, or we can be transformed butterflies
soaring from a new peace and perspective. The question rests with us
each, and the Creator asks us, "Will you celebrate the cocoon?"
The Cocoon
To outward appearances, the cocoon can look like a lonely place. In
times when we are desperately trying to move forward, and already
going slower than we would like, it is difficult to let go and surrender
our control for what looks like complete stillness. The cocoon can look
like a wilderness, but in that case, it's a wilderness of oneness where
much more is accomplished than those moments first reveal.
Look at John at Patmos. Being sent all alone to a desert island must
have felt like punishment. This is the same John who was referred to
as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." The same John who took his
opportunity to lay his head upon Jesus' chest, a moment that always
provokes my desire. But, as much as Patmos must have looked like a
lonely wilderness, it was actually an invitation to what happens in the
cocoon. God was jealous for John, and swept him away out of love to
press him to His heart and reveal the secrets usually reserved for a
special friend (see John 15:15). Looking back, notice how we study
and marvel at the wings of the book of Revelation that came out of
that time in the cocoon.
I grew up with someone in our extended family that everyone simply
called "Papa." He had a special knack with babies, able to grab them
out of any circumstance, sweep them up in between his loving arms
and his chest, and invite them into "The Papa Tuck." Every time, the
baby would be quickly immersed in deep, necessary rest. "The Papa
Tuck" resembles the cocoon, crawling up into Papa God's arms,
letting go of everything else, and just enjoying His heartbeat and
embrace, knowing that those very moments are more powerful and
more productive than anything else we could do. We could keep
striving like the caterpillar and inch forward little by little, maybe even
take another scoot toward breakthrough, or we can celebrate such
closeness with our Creator tucked into the living peace that births
impossible fruit.
The Caterpillar
Cease striving, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
The caterpillar often finds itself striving for significance or looking for
breakthrough. We won't find breakthrough as a caterpillar, as such
would be a substandard blessing and breakthrough. We are not called
to be successful or blessed caterpillars, we are called to be new
creatures: butterflies. For every caterpillar there comes a season
where they must realize that their dreams and their unique calling
cannot be lived out apart from the cocoon.
The Butterfly
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
The butterfly shows us unprecedented breakthrough. It is a new
creation! It does not measure up to other butterflies, it does not
strive, and each one has its own unique wings. Every butterfly's wings
are different shapes, different colors and new patterns, a reflection of
God's own unique imprint on each one from within the cocoon.
Joseph
Joseph was the ultimate caterpillar turned butterfly. He scooted
around forecasting his dreams of wings until he found himself deep in
a cocoon of a prison. But it was that prison that brought his dreams to
reality. The dream-coat was but a representation of the favor and
calling of God, while its true power and reality was Joseph's wings
developing inside. Joseph held onto his dream with vigor, but
transformed in his cocoon within the prison of the palace. Just
because you see the prison around you, doesn't mean you're not
already in the palace. We must not leave the palace of our calling
while trying to escape our prison. However unlikely it may seem, and
whatever our outward version of a cocoon may be, God often
surprises us with how He brings forth our dreams.
Prepare For Launch
It's from the cocoon that we are launched, perhaps when we least
expect it, when we are caught simply enjoying God in the wilderness
of oneness that He has swept us away to. According to Joseph's
dream, he was waiting for the familiar, his family, to come and
promote him into his breakthrough. But God is a Father who loves to
surprise His children, who always does us at least one better than we
can think or imagine. Joseph had to surrender to his cocoon and let
God surprise Him with greater wings than even he could hope or
dream.
With such a good Father, surrender always equals the best kind of
surprises! What, or Whom, is inside you and waiting to breakout? For
me, my breakthrough begins when I crawl up in God's lap and enter
His "Papa Tuck." We usually focus on the caterpillar or the butterfly,
but often what is most powerful is when we learn to celebrate what's
in between!
Joey LeTourneau
M.A.R.K. 10:14 Family/Heavenly Hope Ministries
Email: joey.letourneau@gmail.com
Joey LeTourneau, his wife Destiny, and their four daughters live near
Denver, Colorado. They travel extensively, empowering the Body of
Christ to draw near to their First Love and live out the life-giving
testimony of Jesus to the world around them. They desire to see the
Father's heart fully revealed to the world, and through such see a
multiplication of life so abundant the whole world will know the true
nature of our Father! Joey has authored two books, Revolutionary
Freedom, and his new release, The Life Giver
__________________
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing
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