Struggle of the Butterfly - Watch it Fly!

"A man spent hours watching a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. It managed to make a small hole, but its body was too large to get through it. After a long struggle, it appeared to be exhausted and remained absolutely still.
 
The man decided to help the butterfly and, with a pair of scissors, he cut open the cocoon, thus releasing the butterfly. However, the butterfly’s body was very small and wrinkled and its wings were all crumpled.
 
The man continued to watch, hoping that, at any moment, the butterfly would open its wings and fly away. Nothing happened; in fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its brief life dragging around its shrunken body and shrivelled wings, incapable of flight."
~Unknown
 
What the man did, with the best of intentions, actually harmed the butterfly's chance to thrive. The man failed to understand that squeezing thru the tight cocoon would allow the blood to push into the butterfly's wings, allowing it to fly.
 
Do we sometimes unwittingly do the same for our children? Do we step in and pave the road before them or keep them from doing something they'd like to try because we don't think it's a good fit? Or do we allow them to struggle and take the time to walk roads we wouldn't necessarily choose for them... all with the opportunity to grow, maybe fail, but hopefully figure out what's right for them? 

Do we want them to lead authentic lives that are just for them? Only they know how they feel about the activities and experiences they take on... about the roads they walk and the struggles they have. Some may leave them feeling weak, while others may leave them feeling strong. But all should give them a better idea of who they are.

Let's give our kids the gift of space & time, to the best of our abilities, to determine the life God has for them to thrive in.