A little boy found a cocoon one morning. He took it to the local old, wise man down the street.
The man told the little boy, “A caterpillar wove this cocoon as a house for the winter while it changes into a butterfly. Watch this cocoon. Soon it will develop cracks. You will see a butterfly inside beating its wings against the walls of the cocoon. Do not help the butterfly. In time it will break open the cocoon and fly away.”
The little boy watched the cocoon, and sure enough cracks developed and he could see the butterfly beating its wings against the walls. Feeling sorry for the butterfly and wanting to help, the little boy broke open the cocoon. But the butterfly just laid still, limp, and then died.
He took this to the old man. “Little boy,” said the man, “you tried to help the butterfly, didn’t you? Don’t you know that the butterfly must beat its wings against the walls until it develops the strength to open the cocoon and fly. You deprived it the opportunity to grow strong.”
Just so in humans. Adolescents have the job of questioning and rebelling against the norms they see. Wise parents and adults allow this questioning and rebelling so that the child will grow stronger. They just establish guardrails far enough out to prevent danger while still allowing room for growth.
And as we age, our experiences still cause us to question and, yes, even rebel against God. For only by pushing against God can we allow God to push back and help us grow stronger. We find the limits of our strength and the beginnings of renewed strength thanks to God.
Faith Venture 
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