Struggles We Go Through & No One Can Help Us: Maybe We Have To Struggle Alone Like The Butterfly
Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2011
by Fran Larson
http://www.franniesquotes.com/
Sometimes my heart is heavy because I know someone is going through a terrible struggle. Maybe it is a death, illness a problem with siblings or our children. However, whatever the problem and we want to help others, the bottom line is (besides praying and showing them that we care), that many times there really is not anything we could do. I found this story of a butterfly that exemplifies what I am saying:
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 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 farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so 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 contracting 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 life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly.
Author Unknown
“Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods. So let us celebrate the struggle!” Swami Sivananda quotes (Indian Yoga master, Physician, Monk and Founder of The Divine Life Society, 1887-1963)
“Whatever the struggle, continue the climb. It may be only one step to the summit.” Diane Westlake quotes
God Bless you in your struggles.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)What a great analogy of life. We do that as parents too. We try to opt our children out of hard times, when in fact, God may have a bigger plan for their lives.
Another fine Fran Larson article. Great example of life.
Wow Fran, you outdid yourself with this touching article! Such a wonderful analogy that hits home for all of us who struggle with the inevitable slings that life will send our way. Kudos Fran!
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