Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

A man once found the cocoon of a butterfly. With great curiosity, he started observing it. A small opening appeared in the cocoon one day. He sat and watched for several hours as the butterfly struggled to wiggle and struggle out through the tiny hole.

Then it stopped, as if it could not go further. So out of sympathy, the man decided to help the butterfly.

He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shrivelled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting the wings to enlarge and expand enough to support the body. To his dismay, neither happened! In fact the butterfly had to spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

In his kindness and haste, the man did not understand that the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready to fly.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would just cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been, and we would never fly if we lead a life without struggles. If we go through the lives of famous personalities we can see that all of them achieved greatness by overcoming the struggles in life. So we must consider the stumbling blocks in our path not as barriers but milestones that lead us to success, that transform us to a capable person.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6