There are bodies in the heavens, and there are bodies on earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the beauty of the earthly bodies. The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their beauty and brightness.

It is the same way for the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, so also there are spiritual bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:40-44 NLT)

    “Why must I die?” she asked her father.

    “Everything dies. But as I have tried to explain before, it’s not really a death, but a transformation. There’s more to you than what you are and what you have experienced, but first you must be willing to end this existence before you can enter into your new world — a world you will see from a whole new perspective.”

    “But I’m so young. I don’t want to change. Besides, I’m afraid of the dark.”

    “Oh, little one, you worry so much. Haven’t I told you many times before? The darkness is only temporary. Yes, you have lived for only a short time, but you have lived well. As for change, it’s an inevitable part of life. Nothing stays the same. All of creation experiences change. To never change is to never experience life, and so it becomes a form of death. Welcome change as you would welcome a long lost love.”

    “But our customs are so barbaric. Why must we willingly participate in our death, and why must we build our own tombs?”

    “It is our way. It has always been our way. I don’t understand the reasons, but I know it’s essential. Little one, this is your time. You have grown and you have learned your lessons well. Now it is time to enter a new realm of existence. Do not look upon this experience as an end, but look upon it as an entrance into a new dimension. View it as a door.”

    “Will I look the same, Father? Will you be able to recognize me?”

You will be more beautiful than ever before. Your transformation will set your spirit free.

    “No, my child, you will not look the same, but have no fear, a father can always recognize his child. You will be more beautiful than ever before. Your transformation will set your spirit free. You will no longer be confined by the restraints of this life, but you will be able to soar to new heights.”

    “What about love? Does this new life know of love?”

    “Above all else, you will know of love. Because the spirit that is set free is the only spirit that can truly love and be loved to the depths of its being. It’s a difficult thing that is asked of you, but it is in your own best interest, and it is my love for you that implores you to take this leap of faith.”

    Knowing she was loved, and that she would also know love in her new world, she laid her questions to rest. She wondered why she was even worried to begin with. It wasn’t as if she were hanging onto the greatest of lives anyway. She was considered repulsive and slow. No one cherished her company.

    She went about her business as usual. Soon she would begin preparing for her transformation, as her father called it. It seemed like darkness and death to her. But she would participate like all those who went before her. She was who she was, and nothing could change that.

    As a matter of fact, she actually began looking forward to her new life. After all, she reasoned, there’s nothing really special about being a caterpillar.

 

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© Excerpted with permission from The Heart of a Father, a compilation of great stories about fathers, edited by Wayne Holmes. Click here to buy this title online!

Title: "The Transformation"
Author: Wayne Holmes
Publication Date: January 23, 2003