The Butterfly

The other day my dear friend Kathy, presented each attending member at our gym class with a beautiful butterfly ornament.  Mine has found a home hanging from my rear view mirror.  The gift has had me thinking the last few days.

 

I find myself wondering what struggle the caterpillar must go through in order to emerge a butterfly.  Does it have any idea what is happening to it’s body?  Does it know of it’s own beauty?  Is it scared it may not endure the transformation.  Does it ever ask, Why?  Why must I go through this?  Why can’t I stay as I am? 

 

As I think of this amazing creature, my thoughts turn inward.  What journey must I make?  What will I be when this is complete?  I awe at the thought that if the Master can take a simple caterpillar and transform him into the magical butterfly, oh praise……what must he have in store for me!! 

 

This journey is not easy.  There are days I want to give up and give in.  There are moments the fatigue begins to let in discouragement and fear.  Yet, luckily, I am prompted to attend Keaton’s gym class with him and the instructor gives out a butterfly.  I am buoyed up.  Today is a new day.  I am able to make new choices.  Begin again.  Grateful for my challenges.  Grateful for my journey.

 

I hope you also can find strength and motivation in the story of the butterfly. 

 

 

The story of the 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 squeeze its body through the tiny hole.

Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.

He took a pair of scissors and

snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily but

it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,

expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge

and expand enough to support the body,

Neither happened!

In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life

crawling around.

It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness

and haste did not understand:

The restricting cocoon and the struggle

required by the butterfly to get through the opening

was a way of forcing the fluid from the body

into the wings so that it would be ready

for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly

what we need in our lives.

Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.

We will not be as strong as we could have been

and we would never fly.

So have a nice day and struggle a little and teach well.