Letter 18 - Sometimes the Best Help is to NOT Help at all!

Hello Bregdan Woman,

Ginny today…

Is this really true?  That sometimes the best help is to not help at all?

This can be a strange concept for Bregdan Women who are focused on making a difference.  Which makes it even more important to understand!

Let me tell you about Sophia…

Sophia has a tender heart and loves to help animals of every kind.  Which makes what happened in this letter totally understandable.

She learned a lesson she has never forgotten!

"What is this? I can't tell." Curious, and getting down on her knees on the sidewalk, Sophia got a better look at it. Her daily adventures into nature often rewarded her with treasures from nature. She enjoyed her discoveries and always regarded her finds with great respect.

But what had she found?

Recognizing it as an emperor moth's cocoon, Sophia decided to keep it. She gently scooped the cocoon into her chest pocket and meandered home. Placing the cocoon into a clear container, Sophia felt excitement travel through her.

She could hardly wait to be a witness to the moth's emerging from its cocoon.

A few days passed. Finally, a small opening appeared. The wait was over! Sophia sat and watched for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through a tiny, tiny hole.

Then…

The moth seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.  

The majestic moth was stuck.

Sophia could watch no more.  She decided to help the moth.  Surely, that was the reason she had found the cocoon.                                                                                             

With a small pair of scissors, she snipped off a bit of the cocoon and freed her emperor moth. Now the moth emerged easily. 

But something was wrong . . . very wrong. It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. 

But she had done what was needed!  Sophia continued to watch the moth.  She was certain that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand. She expected the moth to be able to support the body which would contract in time. 

Neither happened! 

Heartbreakingly, the little moth spent the rest of its very short life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

What had gone wrong?  Research revealed the answer.

Sophia learned too late that the restricting cocoon and the moth's struggle for freedom was a requirement for survival. The moth needed to struggle through the tiny opening. It was nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight.

Its freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. 

By depriving the moth of a struggle, she deprived the moth of the reason it was created.

Can you see how this is often true for humans?

There are times to help – there are times to NOT help.

The struggles in our lives give us strength. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. It is never easy to struggle, and it is certainly never easy to watch someone else with their struggles.

But…

If we never let children struggle with learning to walk, we would all be carrying around some mighty big kids!

What if we never made any mistakes? Would we learn anything?

If everything in life worked out the first time, how many inventions would have been missed?

Sophia believed she was doing the right thing. She was not at fault. I believe we are all like that. We want to help and make it better. I do that too.

With my kids, my friends, even with myself . . . but sometimes I know I need to wait and let the struggle run its course . . . Let the fight create the strength.

Out of love, I must allow nature to do its work.

I know it is not easy, but I believe the outcome is worth the wait. I believe in my kids and friends and family.   

I believe in myself enough, that I will allow the obstacles to stand.

I will struggle through to freedom and flight.  I'll never quit encouraging others around me.

Will you do the same? Let's both learn from Sophia and let life teach us how to be strong and free Bregdan Women!

Let's give every obstacle an opportunity to become our strength.

What will you do today to impact history??

We’re on this journey with you… (and have 2 FREE books for you below…)

Ginny & Suess

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