A boy saw a caterpillar in his garden. He found the caterpillar in a difficult situation, bound by a cocoon, and struggling to release itself. It was not able to come out, but it never gave up its efforts. It tried and tried. Feeling compassion, the boy ran inside his house, got a pair of scissors, and slowly and carefully cut the cocoon. He released the caterpillar.
What did he see when he cut the cocoon? He saw that the caterpillar was developing wings to become a butterfly. And because he had cut the cocoon before time, the wings of the caterpillar were very weak. They did not have the strength to handle the weight of the caterpillar and so the caterpillar could not fly.
Similarly, sometimes when we struggle in our lives, it may seem painful to someone who is watching. But those very struggles actually make us strong and powerful. Many people ask, “Why does God allow us to suffer?” We can learn from this story; if the boy had allowed the caterpillar to suffer a little more, then it would have soared to the sky, flown from one flower to another and would be appreciated by the world for its color and beauty.
Moral : No Pains, No Gains