it takes a lot of strength and courage to allow your self to be vulnerable

I once saw a butterfly newly emerged from its cocoon. Not yet knowing it was a butterfly, it negotiated motion from a caterpillar’s frame of reference – teetering on its butterfly legs under the forging dynamics of its new wings. I didn’t stay long enough to see the insect take flight and can only imagine that there was a moment where it realized these things which were throwing it off balance and hindering its advancement were actually tools it could use to progress in ways never before possible. Witnessing these butterfly baby steps opened my eyes to the fact that after a period of transformation we do not know who we are any more and instead of fighting to do things the way we had in the past must experience the world in our new state and discover the new avenues available to us.
I recently saw inspiration in another butterfly. As a storm approached the winds blew erratic with the rhythm of waves stirring up riptides. The invisible currents were made clear as they caught up a butterfly and flung it to and fro. In a calm moment it didn’t seek shelter or safety on the ground, but flew up into a tree and perched in the foliage. The wind continued to blow and the branch the bug was on followed the whim of its gusts. Thru it all the butterfly remained in cluster of leaves. It didn’t cling tight but sat lightly sometimes hovering slightly above the bobbing branch – it didn’t need to be attached to it to be protected by it. Watching such a delicate creature seek solace in the middle of storm made me see the futility in running from tribulation. It isn’t simply that we need to face our fears, it just might turn out that the safest place to be is the place that looks the most dangerous. When looking at the world we must be sure we aren’t using our caterpillar eyes if we now know how to use our wings.