Learning from a Butterfly

 A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a

small opening appeared. He sat and watched

the butterfly for several hours as it struggled

to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress.

It appeared 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

and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a

swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because

he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge

and expand to be able to support the body, which would

contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its

life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand

was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for

the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’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 our lives.

If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles,

it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could

have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength.........

And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom.........

And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity.........

And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage.........

And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love.........

And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors.........

And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted ........

I received everything I needed!

May God Bless You

May God Bless you with unspeakable joy,

not only in the world to come,

but in this world also.

May your path be bright and full of light

everywhere you go.

May God tell darkness that it must flee

at your command.

And, I pray your feet will never stumble

out of God’s plan.

May the desires of your heart come true,

And may you experience Peace in everything you do.

May Goodness, Kindness, and Mercy come your way.

And, may you gain Wisdom and grow

in the Lord everyday.