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BUTTERFLY

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the 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 of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

DANCING WITH GOD

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw "G" I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God," "u" and "i" dance." God, you and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God’s blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.
~author unknown~

"You changed my mourning into dancing…"
Ps 30:12

Doctor

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was leaving the room after paying a visit, and said,
"Doctor, I am afraid to die.  Tell me what lies on the other side." 
Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know." 
"You don't know?" the man said.  "You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

     The doctor was holding the handle of the door, on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining.  As he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with
an eager show of gladness.  Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? 
He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside.  He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear."

     "I know little of what is on the other side of death," the doctor continued, "but I do know one thing:  I know my Master is there, and that is enough.  And when the door opens, I shall pass through with no fear, but with gladness."
~author unknown~