The Butterfly Story

Once I was visiting a dear friend who has a amazing gift for healing and we were discussing what it was to help people in their struggles of life. I was expressing my idea that was to get in there and roll up my sleeves and help them get though the whole mess by walking side by side with them on their path of hardship.

She thought for a moment....... Then she said..... I want to tell you a story about an old man and a butterfly. OK, I was in for a story. Well, she said, I don't remember where I got this from but I feel it is a good time to share it because I think it will help you with helping others.

Once there was this old man who was in the garden and he found this worm who he knew would turn into a beautiful butterfly. So he took the worm into his house and put it into a terrarium. He was so happy and he went out and got all the best leaves for food and made sure that the worm was warm and well cared for. Everyday he would watch it and feed it and take great care to meet all its needs.

Then one day the worm began to spin it's cocoon. Again the old man took pains to see that the cocoon was in a safe place. Then one day he saw that the cocoon had a crack in it and the butterfly inside was struggling to get out and be free. He very carefully placed it in his hands and helped it in its plight to get out of its cocoon.

Finely it was set free and the butterfly began to spread its beautiful wings to fly but something happened and as the old man was gently holding this amazing creature in his hands it began to die. It struggled and soon gave up and died in his hands.

She stopped there and said "Ana, sometimes when we help people too much we push the ones we love off their intended path in life and without the struggle and pain they never reach their full potential and strength to do as the Creator has made them for. By helping to much we are not blessing but hurting them in their journey.

It was then that I remembered hearing a Teacher say, " A Healer does not actually heal a person but facilitates in the process of teaching another person how to find the power inside themselves to heal. "