The Lesson of the The Lesson of the ButterflyButterfly

The Lesson of the The Lesson of the ButterflyButterfly

““For I reckon For I reckon that the that the

sufferings of sufferings of this present this present time are not time are not worthy to be worthy to be

compared with compared with the glory which the glory which

shall be shall be revealed in us”revealed in us”

ROMANS 8:18

I had kept the cocoon of a butterfly for nearly a year, when one day I noticed with excitement that the little insect was beginning to come out.

The cocoon was very peculiar in its construction. There was just a very narrow opening left in the neck of the flask, through which the perfect butterfly would have to force its way.

Such a small opening compared to the size of the imprisoned insect made me wonder how the exit could ever be accomplished at all!

I watched it patiently striving and struggling to get out.

It never seemed to be able to get beyond a certain point, and at last my patience was exhausted.

I thought that I was wiser and more compationate than its Maker, and I resolved to give it a helping hand!

With the point of my scissors I snipped the confining threads to make the exit just a little easier...

... And lo! Inmediately, and with perfect ease, out crawled my butterfly... dragging a huge swollen body and little shriveled wings!

I eagerly waited to see the marvellous process of expansion in which the wings develope before one’s eyes. I longed to see them assume their due proportions and the creature to appear in all its perfect beauty.

But I looked in vain!

My poor butterfly My poor butterfly was never anything was never anything but a stunned but a stunned abortion, crawling abortion, crawling painfully through its painfully through its brief life which it brief life which it should have spent should have spent flying through the air flying through the air on rainbow wings!on rainbow wings!

I learned later that the I learned later that the great labor and great labor and difficulty in passing difficulty in passing through such a narrow through such a narrow opening is nature’s opening is nature’s provision for forcing provision for forcing the juices into the the juices into the vessels of the wings, vessels of the wings, which aren’t totally which aren’t totally developed at the period developed at the period of emerging from the of emerging from the crysalis.crysalis.

My false tendernes My false tendernes had proved its ruin. had proved its ruin.

I now look back and think of it often, when watching with pitiful eyes those who are struggling with sorrow, suffering and distress; and feel tempted to cut short the discipline and give deliverance.

I say to myself:“Shortsighted man! How do I know that one of these pangs or groans could be spared?”

We all need to We all need to experience experience challenges and challenges and difficulties in our difficulties in our lives.lives.

If God would allow If God would allow us to live our lives us to live our lives without obstacles, without obstacles, we would be weak. we would be weak. And we could never And we could never gain the strenght of gain the strenght of charater He needs charater He needs us to have in order us to have in order to succeed in life. to succeed in life.

We could never fly!We could never fly!

I asked for Strenght,I asked for Strenght,And God gave me And God gave me Difficulties to make Difficulties to make me Strong.me Strong.

I asked for Wisdom, I asked for Wisdom, And God gave me And God gave me Problems to Solve.Problems to Solve.

I asked for prosperity I asked for prosperity And God gave me And God gave me Intelligence and Intelligence and Muscles to work.Muscles to work.

I asked for I asked for Courage... Courage... And God gave And God gave me Obstacles to me Obstacles to Overcome.Overcome.

I asked for I asked for Love... Love... And God put And God put people with people with problems in my problems in my path for me to path for me to help.help.

I didn’t get I didn’t get exactly what exactly what I asked.I asked.

But I But I receivedreceivedall thatall that

I needed!I needed!

Jesus is our very present help in trouble. If you Jesus is our very present help in trouble. If you haven’t yet accepted Him as your personal haven’t yet accepted Him as your personal Savior, you can do it right now by praying this Savior, you can do it right now by praying this simple little prayer:simple little prayer:

““Dear Jesus, I need you Dear Jesus, I need you in my life. Please come in my life. Please come into my heart, forgive all into my heart, forgive all of my sins & give me of my sins & give me your free gift of eternal your free gift of eternal life. I commit my life and life. I commit my life and all of my cares to you . all of my cares to you . Help me to grow close to Help me to grow close to you so that I can be a you so that I can be a blessing to others. blessing to others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Our Father’s Love is Our Father’s Love is too true to be weak. too true to be weak.

““There is always the hope of There is always the hope of tomorrow to brighten the tomorrow to brighten the

clouds of today.clouds of today.

There is always a corner for There is always a corner for turning no matter how weary turning no matter how weary

the way. the way.

Just look ahead to tomorrow and trust that you’ll find Just look ahead to tomorrow and trust that you’ll find waiting there, the sunlight that seemed to be hidden by waiting there, the sunlight that seemed to be hidden by

yesterday’s clouds of despair”yesterday’s clouds of despair”

Please forward this message to Please forward this message to someone else.someone else.

You never know how many You never know how many butterflies will fly higher after butterflies will fly higher after

reading this.reading this.

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