While going through some deep personal struggles and scrolling mindlessly on social media looking at various articles, and though my mind was not comprehending the material, I came across a video of a caterpillar.  The caption spoke of parents not wanting to see their children struggle in life but to “fix” everything for them.  But it’s a mistake for parents to try and “fix” everything for their children.  The struggle is where we learn.  The struggle is how we gain strength.  Just as a seed planted in the earth has to struggle to reach for nutrients, moisture and the sun.  If the process is interfered with, the flower doesn’t blossom nor the fruit bearing plant.

“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:  for My strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in m infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake:  for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

(II Corinthians 12:9-10)

I paused a moment to view the video and I realized it was a video I needed to see.  Many will seek out self-help books with thoughts on what one should do in times of deep distress.  I never do that, but seek God’s Word for comfort, understanding, prayer, and help from close Christian friends in times when the storm rages.  The following story explains.

“Once a little boy was playing outdoors and found a fascinating caterpillar.  He carefully picked it up and took it home to show his mother.  He asked his mother if he could keep it, and she said he could if he would take good care of it.

The little boy got a large jar from his mother and put plants to eat and a stick to climb on, in the jar.  Every day he watched the caterpillar and brought it new plants to eat.

One day the caterpillar climbed up the stick and started acting strangely.  The boy worriedly called his mother who came and understood that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon.  The mother explained to the boy how the caterpillar was going to go through a metamorphosis and become a butterfly.

The little boy was thrilled to hear about the changes his caterpillar would go through.  He watched every day, waiting for the butterfly to emerge.  One day it happened, a small hole appeared in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle to come out.

At first the boy was excited, but soon he became concerned.  The butterfly was struggling so hard to get out?  It looked like it couldn’t break free!  It looked desperate!  It looked like it was making no progress!

The boy was so concerned he decided to help.  He ran to get scissors, and then walked back (because he had learned not to run with scissors).  He snipped the cocoon to make the hole bigger and the butterfly quickly emerged!

As the butterfly came out the boy was surprised.  It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.  He continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would dry out, enlarge and expand to support the swollen body.  He knew that in time the body would shrink and the butterfly’s wings would expand.

But neither happened!

The butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly . . .

As the boy tried to figure out what had gone wrong his mother took him to talk to a scientist from a local college.  He learned the butterfly was SUPPOSED to struggle.  In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to push its way through the tiny opening of the cocoon pushes the fluid out of its body and into its wings.  Without the struggle, the butterfly would never, ever fly.  The boy’s good intentions hurt the butterfly.

As you go through life, keep in mind that struggling is an important part of any growth experience.  In fact, it is the struggle that causes you to develop your ability to fly.”

~ Unknown

I learned a valuable lesson from the video.  I cannot “fix” everything and those who are by me while struggling through these trials cannot “fix” things for me either, but it is enough to have God and them by my side while going through the them, and prayerfully I too will emerge from the storm with a deeper faith and a greater ability to help others because of the trials.

 

“If thou dost not stumble at this stone, the devil hath another at hand to throw in the way.  He is not so unskillful a fowler as to go with one single shot into the field; and therefore expect him, as soon as he hath discharged one, and missed thee, to let fly at thee with a second.”

~ William Gurnall

 Eileen Light