The Butterfly

Alcohol
1
I am sure everyone has heard this story before but it helps me when I am feeling helpless and scared.

One day a small opening appeard in a cocoon, a man sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the small hole. Then it seemed to stop making progress.
It appeard as if it had gotten as far as it could go and could go no futher. So the man decided to help the butterfly:
He took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily, but it had a withered body, and it was tiny and had shriveled wings. The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand and be able to support the body of the butterfly and become firm.
Neither Happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.
What the man, in his goodwill did not understand was the the restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get free from the cocoon was God's way of forcing fluid from the butterfly's body and wings so it would be ready for flight once it got it's freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in life.
If God allowed us to go through life without struggles it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never been able to fly.

I asked God for strength and he gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked God for wisdom and he gave me problems to solve.
I asked God for prosperity and he gave me the brain and the brawn to work.
I asked God for courage and he gave me obstacles to overcome.
I asked God for love and he gave me troubled people to help.
I asked God for favors and he gave me opportunities.

I received Nothing I wanted....but I received EVERYTHING I need!!

Live life without fear, and confront any obstacles and know you CAN overcome them!

HAVE A PEACEFUL AND SOBER DAY ALL!
Peace.........Valarie
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Valarie, love that story! Thanks for posting it here...very appropriate to recovery!
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Valarie, I've seen that before, love it....for me pain and suffering is the touchstone for growth. Have a great weekend...the weather is so nice up here in the South Bay, how about down your way in the OC?
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Hey VW girl....yeah that is an old one, with many different versions but the message is always the same. All is well in Orange County. It is absolutely beautiful today. I woke up at 5:30 am to birds chirping it was really cool cuz I slept with the windows open. It was just nice to not wake up and decide am I gonna throw up today or am I gonna take a shot and make the nausea go away. That is the first time I ever realized that I was an alcoholic. I would wake up with what I thought was a hangover when in actuality I needed a drink. Crazy huh. My old friends just thought I was nuts. They were feeling like me but a shot would have made it worse for them and it was my remedy. I hope to never go there again. I'm gonna do a little yard work perhaps. We have a gardener but my hubby bought a leaf blower and I love blowing stuff around so I think I will do that. Then at noon I go for a massage. Only one more night and he will be back from his trip to Mexico with the boys. I have done pretty well on my own. I am proud of myself. It's been kind of nice to be all alone. I usually hate it but it was kind of an awakening for me. I realized how to be "still" with my own thoughts and not run from them straight to booze. I hope you have a wonderful saturday.
Bumpsnomore...you have a wonderful, peaceful day as well.

Valarie :)
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Hi Valarie, It is absolutely gorgeous here....I had a very exhausting work week, was very productive; fell asleep early last night and slept for 10.5 hours. I guess I needed it. I can so relate to your gratitude of not waking up in a withdrawal state and the only option, I thought at the time, was to drink more....sounds like you have a great day planned. I had a cleaning crew come in yesterday, and had them also wash all the windows and clean out all the sills, so I'm gonna open up my apartment today and let the sun in! I have a few chores and errands to run, but I may have to work a few hours here and there this weekend. I'm gonna pamper myself a little too and also go return some Pumps I bought at Nordstroms ~ they kill my feet! If I was hungover today, I wouldn't even leave my place. You are doing so well....you are living and enjoying life...isn't it great!

Hi Janet, Almost one year for you....ooooooooh it is so exciting, I remember when I first started reading your posts ~ you are such an inspiration and so funny too. I told my sister, wouldn't it fun to meet Janet, she's such a crack-up!