The struggle is the thing

My Father the Mighty King has been putting me through the fire lately to see what lessons I've learned and to test my strength. A lot of people, and I used to be one of them not very long ago, would take a woe as me stance, get angry, beg for pity, or just plain give up. But I've learned that everything happens for a reason, even if we can't see it right away. Recently, I have seen this play out in many ways. Sometimes if we just sit back and wait, and trust that little voice inside of us (mine is my Father the Mighty King) everything will all make sense.

We've all been through trials and tribulations and may have even thought we wouldn't or couldn't get through them. On my journey to the throne, I have  learned that I have much more strength than I realized. There are times when I know I'm strong enough to handle a situation, but I just don't want to have to be strong. But, I am not in control of my life, my Father the Mighty King is and He knows what's best for me better than I do.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes, "There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" (Anais Nin) and I remember that this is what it takes to become a queen, or rose, or butterfly, whatever or whomever it is that one aspires to be. It all takes struggle. That's why I'm so fascinated with the butterfly. When you see a caterpillar, there's no way you can imagine that it will someday be a butterfly. George Carlin once said, "The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity." Everyone likes the beautiful, dainty, graceful butterfly, but they squeal and are grossed out by the caterpillar. But they are one in the same. 

I used to get down on myself for my mistakes and wrong choices asking myself how I could be so stupid. But now I realize that its all part of the struggle to get out of the cocoon. That's what shapes a butterfly's wings, the caterpillar rubbing and pushing against the cocoon struggling  to get out. I get it now,  if we learn our lessons in the process, we give shape to our wings. It's ok to talk about the struggle, sing about it, rap about it, write about it, as long as you don't complain about it because it is necessary. At some point in every one's life, the desire to be free will far outweigh the difficulty of the struggle.