The Hidden Work of Transformation

It’s been so warm here the last few days that it almost feels like spring has already arrived. The temperatures have been in the 70s, the sun has been shining, and everything outside feels alive again. But I know better than to trust it too much. Around here, winter likes to make a few surprise appearances before it finally gives up. We could still see cold weather—or even a little snow—over the next couple of weeks.

Yesterday I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and carry my lunch out to the porch. There’s something about sitting outside in the warmth after a long winter that just feels good for the soul. As I sat there eating and soaking up the sun, something unexpected caught my eye.

A big, beautiful monarch butterfly came fluttering across the yard and landed in the grass right in front of me.

I had to smile because it felt like such a surprise this early in the season. The little visitor flitted around for a moment, as if it was just as happy about the warm weather as I was. It didn’t stay long, but the moment stuck with me.

Monarch butterflies have one of the most remarkable life cycles in nature. They begin as tiny eggs, become caterpillars, then disappear inside a chrysalis where something mysterious happens. Inside that quiet shell, everything changes. The caterpillar essentially dissolves and is completely transformed before emerging as a butterfly.

From the outside, that stage looks like nothing is happening. It looks still. Hidden. Quiet. But inside, the most important work is taking place.

It made me think about the seasons in our own lives. Sometimes we experience long stretches that feel like winter—times when things seem slow, uncertain, or even dormant. We might wonder if anything good is happening at all. But just because we can’t see the work being done doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

God often does His deepest work in the hidden seasons.

Transformation rarely happens in the sunshine moments alone. Much of it takes place in the quiet, unseen places where we learn patience, trust, and surrender. Just like the monarch inside the chrysalis, something new may be forming even when life feels still. Then one day, sometimes when we least expect it, a butterfly appears.

Sometimes God places small reminders in our path—a butterfly, a warm day, a quiet moment—to help us remember that even when we cannot see it, He is still at work, patiently transforming us into something beautiful.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

March 8, 2026 Morning Brew

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