Me...The Butterfly!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have adored butterflies. It didn't stop there. I would make homes for the caterpillars. I would sit and stare at cocoons, in hopes of seeing the butterfly become free and soar through the sky. It wasn't until recently that I began to realize why I loved them so much.
Through much of my childhood, I was that caterpillar. I crawled, low to the ground, with the hopes that my experiences would stop. As the caterpillar, I would hide up in the trees, high away from any predator. There were many traumas, many fears, many terrors and many tears, but God kept that little caterpillar safe. God brought that little caterpillar far beyond the fuzzy little creature crawling on the ground.
It wasn't long after that, I learned how to crawl into the cocoon. I felt safe. I felt warm. I felt secure. My problems couldn't find me. My experiences couldn't find me. Nothing could find me, except what I allowed in. In that shell, I could cry, scream, whimper, or whatever was on my heart. The only one that could hear me was God, with the exception of my teddy bear that I was never without. I spent many years inside that cocoon. Again, God kept that cocoon safe. He did not allow me to stay there. He had other plans and He helped me break through the shell.
Soon, I realized God had given me wings. I knew they were there. I could feel them, but I was terrified to use them. I began to seek out help from anyone who would listen. I would beg and plead for anyone to listen. It wasn't until I had spent many years as that timid butterfly, that God brought the right people into my heart and life that could help me face my experiences. It was through these people that I learned how to open my wings. Again, God did not leave me there. He continued to nudge me in the right direction.
I realized that with my wings open, I was different. I was bold, I was beautiful, I was confident. With the help of the Father, and the guidance of the right people, I have learned to soar. Is it easy to keep my wings open? Absolutely not. But every time I see a butterfly, I am reminded of who I am. I am beautiful. I am His creation. I am whole. I am free.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.2 Corinthians 5:17