What happens when everything changes? Transformation of any type is a process, we all know this. Many times we want it to happen in a miraculous instant, be easy and painless with the least interruption possible. This is true whether trying to get out of debt, working on a difficult relationship, discovering a career direction or overcoming a problem with alcohol, drugs, food, pornography, gambling or any other addiction. It will take time and everything, I mean everything, will have to change!

Butterflies

It’s no secret that I love butterflies. Of course they are beautiful to look at, but I love them for the analogy of transformation. They do serve a purpose in nature of pollinating flowers and plants, but I also believe God put them here on earth to teach us about how everything must change when we surrender to His perfect design for us.

Butterflies start out in a totally different form as a caterpillar. As everyone knows, caterpillars are hungry. Their main job is to eat in order to fuel their transformation process.

When the time is right, a specific hormone is released which triggers the beginning of the chrysalis stage. This whole process is orchestrated by our more than brilliant Creator. They enter this dark time that very little is known about except that they undergo a radical change.

Everything about them changes. All that is caterpillar melts and rearranges into a creature that no one who knew them before will recognize. They used to eat leaves and crawl on the ground. Now they eat nectar and fly.

Metamorphosis

This feels very much like the process happened to me. One of the dictionary definitions of a metamorphosis is “any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances.” One only needs to look at my before and after pictures to understand my physical metamorphosis. God’s design for me was not to gain a tremendous amount of weight, be sad and unhappy. He had abundant life¹ in store for me, but it seemed impossible² when I was drowning in my own fat at 430 pounds.

[Tweet “God had abundant life in store for me, but I was drowning in my own fat at 430 pounds.”]

What I love about God is that He can take our worst messes and make them into our greatest message. He used my desire to lose weight to draw me closer to Him. I learned I couldn’t lose weight on my own and keep it off. I could only do it by allowing Him to be my strength and lead me step-by-step. This, then, became my process for weight loss and total transformation.

Chrysalis

I had to enter my own chrysalis where everything about me changed and I emerged with everything totally rearranged. My mindset changed. The way I handled my emotions changed. Where I got my determination to go on changed. My ideas about what, when, how much and why I ate changed. My feelings about exercise changed. Understanding the things that gave me pleasure totally changed. (Hint: It no longer had anything to do with food.)

Most importantly, my concepts about what God wants from me and for me radically changed. I realized I had to stop trying so hard and simply surrender all that I am, including my tremendous weakness for foods made with sugar and flour, to the will and care of my almighty God who is more concerned about me than even I am.

Surrender

I learned, He works best through people who understand and fully admit their weaknesses. He says, “My grace is enough. It’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”³

Scriptures I knew began to come alive, jump off the page and into my life. My purpose and meaning began to become clear to me. I’m here to let others know they, too, can overcome anything with God’s help.

“I know what it means to lack and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.”⁴

Grace

All my life had been about trying harder, striving more, always attempting to “earn” what I already had in Christ. It’s not that I didn’t know the Scriptures said I was saved by grace and not by any kind of “works”⁵ I had done or would do. It’s just that I couldn’t fathom how God could just sit back and not require me to work harder.

I especially knew that I had fallen extremely short of doing what God had showed me I needed to do in order to lose weight. I knew I couldn’t do it on my own, so I tried to earn His smile in other ways like teaching Sunday School, leading small groups, writing articles, publishing newspapers.

Love

These were all good and important works, but they had to flow out of my love for Him, not because I was trying to earn something from Him. Today, knowing I am doing what He is leading to me to do as one of His daughters is my greatest privilege and my life mission. I can truly say wherever He leads me I will follow in obedience born of love. It’s His love that forgave me for nearly eating myself to death. It’s because of His love I hear His voice, listen, follow and obey.⁶

This transformation has been very physical. I’ve lost more than 260 pounds. It’s been very emotional. I’ve learned to embrace and manage my emotions with God’s help. It’s been very mental. I am allowing God to renew my mind and give me the mind of Christ. It’s been very spiritual. I don’t take a step without Jesus.

[Tweet “It is only when I am weak that I get out of the way and free God to be strong through me.”]

Weakness

I no longer try to maintain an act of strength. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that am weak. I know, though, that understanding my weakness is a really good thing. It is only when I am weak that I get out of the way and free God to be strong through me.⁷

I love the butterfly because everything about them changes to make a glorious creation. I also love the fact that I was once a caterpillar and am now transformed into a butterfly. Are you ready for your transformation?

What if God said, “I choose you for the transformation of your life?” He has you know? In several weeks the second six-month session of  my lower cost coaching class, #KickWeight, will be open for registration. Although we still have about six more weeks of the first session, already members have reported over 222 pounds of weight gone forever as they are tapping into their new healthy lifestyle changes. When the new session opens, it will be the ridiculously low price of $47 a month. We have limited spots. To be notified when the next group opens, get your name on the transformation waitlist. You will be notified when the doors are open for registration. I do hope you will join us. I so I want to see you FLY. For those potential flight lessons, go to this LINK now and signup.

¹John 10:10 AMP

²Luke 18:27 NLT

³2 Cor. 12:9 MSG

⁴Philippians 4: 11-13 TPT

⁵Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

⁶John 10:27 NIV

⁷2Cor. 12:10 MSG

Teresa Shields Parker

Teresa Shields Parker is a Christian weight loss author, coach, podcaster, and speaker, who has lost 250 pounds and kept it off since 2013. Her books include: “Reconnecting Jayne: Her Sister’s Support,” “Rebuilding Jayne: Her Father’s Protection,”  “Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor,” “Sweet Grace Study Guide,”  “Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle,” “Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds,” “Sweet Journey to Transformation: Practical Steps to Lose Weight and Live Healthy”, “Sweet Freedom: Losing Weight and Keeping It Off With God’s Help,” “Sweet Freedom Study Guide,” “Sweet Change: True Stories of Transformation,” “Sweet Hunger: Developing an Appetite for God,” and “Sweet Excuses: Stop Lying to Yourself & Start Losing Weight.” She also offers Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy and VIP intensive coaching. Don’t miss her weekly podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, where she shares tips from her personal journey of losing weight and discovering healthy living. Contact her at [email protected].