Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Lesson From the Butterfly

This is such a beautiful story,
illustrating one of the most salient lessons we learn through our lives.
It's easy to imagine life as simple ~ good or bad.
But, sometimes, we need a bit of both to make us who we are.

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,
it became a butterfly! (English Proverb)

One day, a man walking down a nature path, saw a butterfly cocoon that was about to open. As he watched, a small opening appeared in the cocoon. The man sat and watched for the butterfly to emerge; for several hours it struggled to to force its body through that little hole.

Then, it seeemed to stop making progress...appearing as if it had gotten as far as it could...and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly...he took a pair of scissors from his pocket and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. However, it had a withered body...it was tiny...and its wings were shrivelled. The man continued to watch because he expected that at any moment, the wings would open...enlarge and expand...to be able to support the butterfly's body.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shrivelled wings. It was never able to take flight.

What the man, in his kindness and his 'good will' did not understand, was that his restricting the cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were Nature's Way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings...so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in life.
If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles,
it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as we could have been.
We'd never be able to fly!

I asked for STRENGTH” ~ I was given Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for WISDOM” ~ I was given Problems to solve.
I asked for PROSPERITY” ~ I was given Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for COURAGE” ~ I was given Obstacles to overcome.
I asked for LOVE” ~ and I was given Troubled People to help.
I asked for Favours” ~ and I was given Opportunities.

I received NOTHING I wanted ~ but I received EVERYTHING I needed!

Lesson From the Butterfly
Let go of the past.
Trust the future.
Embrace the change.
Come out of the cocoon.
Unfold your wings.
Dare to get off the ground.
Ride the breezes.
Savour the flowers.
Put on your brightest colours.
Let your beauty show.
(Author unknown)

(My gratitude to Jeanne for the foregoing.)

Merle Baird-Kerr...written May 11, 2016

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