The Butterfly Lesson

By |Published On: April 3, 2017|Categories: News|

The Butterfly Lesson

This winter, southern California has been blessed with much needed rain. As a result, the surrounding dry, brown hills were transformed into a blanket of vibrant green grass. Now, wild flowers are peppering the hillsides, attracting many beautiful butterflies. It reminds me a story my friend, Donna recently shared. While she was in third grade, Donna’s class was observing the life cycle of butterflies. When the day arrived for the winged creatures to emerge from their cocoons, the class gathered around the small-netted cage to watch. One butterfly kept straining and struggling against its casing – Donna grimaced when she saw how difficult it was for him to break free. So she asked her teacher, “Can’t we just help this little guy? Tear his cocoon and help him go free?” But the teacher explained, “He wouldn’t be ready. In fact, we’d be harming him. You see, the struggle is what’s helping to pump fluid into his wings so they can expand. If take away the struggle, he will not be able to fly.”

The picture of that butterfly, straining and wrestling against his casing, is a great illustration of James 1 where the Holy Spirit says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” It’s a simple, but powerful lesson. Are you facing a trial? Take heart, my friend. God is developing your endurance so that your faith in Him might not fail. So that…you, like that struggling butterfly, can fly.

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