What happened to those days? I suppose there was a time when we all had to grow up. The stark reality of unfulfilled dreams, shattered hopes, and heavy hearts then came into existence. And yet, despite what we may think, we are still the same little person as we were so long ago. Our spirits have only grown up unto greater maturity and understanding. With this greater wisdom should come greater capacity to bear the trials we've been given, and still be happy anyway. I think this is where we get confused. We feel that because our lives are so hard and painful, we have the right to be sad and downtrodden. But melancholy wasn't a word in our childhood vocabulary. Yes our pains were of much less intensity, but for a child, they were still traumatizing. Our capacity to bear was smaller, so the trials we faced were of the same intensity as the ones we face today. And yet we were happy anyway.
Cherie Call released her newest album, "Grace," not too long ago. My sweetheart surprised me with her songs for my birthday. I have listened and relistened and pondered on her songs much over the last few weeks. There is a song that seems to perfectly express the sentiments I am feeling in my heart. Listen to the words of the song "Already a Butterfly:"
You wore butterfly wings and your hair was in rings
and you thought a superman cape would be the perfect thing.
So we velcroed it on in an awkward way and it crumpled up your wings.
You said, "You don't need a cape if you're already a butterfly."
Butterflies fly through the sky without a care in the world.
I wish you could see as the years go by, no matter what you're still that little girl.
Take a look at those eyes and the smile on your face.
You will color this world in your butterfly ways.
'Cause you were never meant to be anyone else and you were truly made to fly,
And you don't need a cape if you're already a butterfly.
Butterflies fly through the sky without a care in the world.
I wish you could see as the years go by, no matter what you're still that little girl.
It's easy to believe you're beautiful when you're three years old
But when 15 comes around I hope that you still know--
That butterflies fly through the sky without a care in the world.
I wish you could see as the years go by, no matter what you're still that little girl.
You're still that girl.
Don't you just love that song? It brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. And I hope that I can internalize the message. I am still that butterly. I can still fly through my life without a care in the world, even despite the trials I am facing. I still have wings. They did not simply disappear when I grew up. I just sort of forgot about them. But I am exercising them now. And guess what--they're starting to shine and sparkle again. Today I will test out my wings. Today I will choose to be happy. And lest we ever forget, let me simply mention that we can fly because of One Man. One Perfect Man who came to earth as the Savior of mankind. It is He who has made our way possible. It is through Him and His incomprehensible atonement that we can be happy...and fly. I bear testimony of Him and His miraculous power. He is real. He lives. And He loves us.
