August 23, 2020. While on the Wolf Run Trail yesterday, we observed two beautiful and vibrant caterpillars munching on a leaf. Today, we went back to that spot, on the off chance they were still there. To our surprise, they were!! In fact, they were on the exact same plant, just working on new leaves. We were thrilled!! We squatted down once again and observed. We were amazed by the progress they’d made in one day. They’d eaten one leaf, completely, leaving only its stem.
The whole experience felt so remarkable, we figured there must be a message in there God wanted us to hear. So, we spent some time quieting our minds, opening our hearts, and listening. We walked, quietly, for awhile until I asked, “I’m wondering if anything bubbled up on your hearts? What did God say to you through those caterpillars? What message did you need to hear today?”
Here are the responses:
Penelope: We can get through hard times. I think it’s a reminder that we can get through hard parts of life because it’s a big thing for a caterpillar to get through a whole leaf in one day. So even though it seemed like a big thing, it did it. And even though hard things seem big, we can get through it.
Elijah: They are working together to get to the top of the leaf. Like, just because one is higher, they don’t have to pull the other one down. Like when people were bullying me. It was like they were pulling me down. But I didn’t have to pull them down too. Because it’s like when they go low, I go high.
Nick: Slow and steady. It didn’t look like they were doing anything yesterday, and then we got there today and the leaf was gone. Slow and steady. We can just keep working at it.
Mama: There’s room enough for both. It doesn’t have to be my way or your way. It’s not me vs. you. It’s not my leaf or yours. There’s room for both.
What a remarkable gift it is to be surrounded by people with such genuine curiosity who experience life with such profound insight. May we always wonder and listen!
KNEP Hikes 