STRUGGLES PRODUCE GROWTH

STRUGGLES PRODUCE GROWTH

It seems that our generation of parents and grandparents has the tendency to make everything far too accessible and much too easy for our offspring.  Unintentionally, we are producing a generation of entitled and dependent children and young adults.  Please prayerfully consider the following story to glean wisdom on this matter.

A man discovered the cocoon of a developing butterfly.  A small opening appeared and he sat and watched the butterfly for a long time as it struggled to force its body through that tiny hole. Progress seemed to stop and it appeared that it was stuck.  So the man decided to help the butterfly.  He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of cocoon.  The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

That man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for its wings to enlarge and adequately support the butterfly.  But that never happened.  The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around on the ground with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of that man, he didn’t understand the purpose of that restrictive cocoon.  The challenging struggle to emerge from such a small opening is God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings to prepare it for flight once it frees itself from the cocoon.

Likewise, life’s struggles develop our strengths.  Without struggle, people never grow to become strong and skillful beings.  Therefore, it is mission critical that  we allow our youth to tackle certain challenges on our own, and not to become solely dependent on assistance from us.  Let’s allow them to have the life experiences that look like challenges, but are actually runways for future flight.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!