man sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to force its body through the little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It looked
as if it had gone as far as it could go.
pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of
cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had
a swollen body and small shriveled wings.
he expected, at any moment, the wings would
enlarge and expand so it could fly. But, they didn't;
the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling
around with a swollen body and shriveled wings
and was never able to fly.
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
into its wings so it would be ready for flight once
it achieved freedom from the cocoon.
strengthen us--otherwise, we would be
crippled, unable to survive of "fly."
God gave me difficulties to make me strong;
God gave me problems to solve;
God gave me a brain and brawn to work;
God gave me danger to overcome;
God gave me troubled people to help;
God gave me opportunities.
but EVERYTHING I needed!