Butterfly

 June 18, 2020

Butterfly

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
― Maya Angelou

 

 

Who ever feels like a butterfly? I hope you do- all beautiful and light. And so if you do, Congratulations! Beautiful and light it is…

 

I always feel like I’m somewhere in the chrysalis. There’s an outer shell that may even reflect pretty colors, but inside I’m a mess, somewhere in-between pre-historic and a recognizable mess.

 

The same goes for troubles or challenges that I feel like I’m in. When I seem to be stopped by criticism or by a lack of insight I can move to a place in my mind where I am just hoping for an end to the moment. I forget that the best way through any criticism or challenge is “through” it. There are no easy answers to criticism and challenge. I have to start with “me” and forget anyone else. Where am I in this mess? How have I acted, what have I said, what have I expressed to make myself misunderstood, or, just plain worng? When I can own up to my personal actions, that’s when breakthroughs occur. So I move “through” rather than around an issue.

 

Someone once told me that in any criticism there is always at the least, an ounce of truth. So then moving “through” an issue is about a time of correction and amending. This is part of what I can see as pre-historic, I don’t like to recognize I’m wrong so I want to avoid that part of me that I find ugly. But there needs to be the recognition that after a thorough examination of the self, comes the butterfly stage.

 

We also have to realize that there will times that no matter what criticism and challenge is laid upon us, and no matter what we do to correct ourselves and amend our ways, that there are going to be others who have no desire to reconcile and will continue to cling to the memory and image of their criticism. We have no control over this. So, keeping our eye on the prize we live our life grateful for the service the other person has done for us. Pray for them and welcome the butterfly within our self.

 

How is it for you? Do you move through or move around issues of criticism and challenge? If you’ve never had the courage to look within, and I know there are many who feel this way, I would be happy to be you confidant, to be your support, to be of service to you so that you may move “through” your challenges rather than avoiding them one minute more. I promise you a butterfly moment when a new practice of personal honesty and correction is learned and lived.

 

To your beauty, I pray.

 

Rev. Ken