宇傑第一次聽到關於男孩與蝴蝶的兒童民間故事時，已經上了年紀。他立刻明白這個故事的寓意，就是透過掙扎獲取力量。故事中，有人給了男孩一顆蝴蝶蛹，並告訴他不可以弄破。可是，當男孩看到蛹在手中緩緩扭曲和抖動時，忍不住便用剪刀把它剪開，讓裡面的蝴蝶可以鑽出來。

然而，不必掙扎就出蛹的蝴蝶根本不會飛，一下子就掉到地上死了。男孩哭著問道：「怎麼會這樣？」宇傑因經過歲月的歷練，立刻就明白了原因：「那個男孩阻止了蝴蝶鍛鍊翅膀所需要的掙扎，翅膀因而無法變得強壯，也無法飛行。」

這個兒童故事雖然只是一個寓言，但印證了一個振奮人心的聖經真理，那就是保羅教導在羅馬受迫害的基督徒說：「就是在患難中也是歡歡喜喜的；因為知道患難生忍耐，忍耐生老練，老練生盼望。」（羅馬書5章3-4節）

保羅並不是告訴我們要為受苦而歡慶，也不是否定痛苦會令人心碎。相反地，他乃是肯定上帝會用人生的苦難來塑造我們的品格，使我們對上帝越來越有信心和盼望。

上帝藉著祂勝過一切的大能，使我們學習信靠祂。那隻蝴蝶因沒有破繭的經歷，被剝奪成長和飛行的機會，但在基督裡，我們雖有苦難卻能歡喜快樂，因為這些苦難能塑造我們的品格，帶領你我更親近拯救我們的上帝。

Jess was getting on in years when he first heard the children’s folktale about the boy and the butterfly. Right away, he understood the story’s lesson on gaining strength from struggle. In the tale, a boy is given a butterfly cocoon but told not to open it. But as the cocoon slowly twists and shudders in his hand, the boy can’t resist using scissors to split it open so the butterfly inside can escape.

Freed from the struggle, however, the butterfly falls to the ground and dies without ever flying. “What happened?” the boy cries. Jess, after a long life, understood instantly. “The boy prevented the butterfly from using the muscles needed to grow strong and fly.”

The children’s lesson may be a fable, but it affirms the bracing biblical truth taught by Paul to persecuted believers in Jesus in Rome: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

Paul wasn’t saying to celebrate pain or deny its heartbreak. He confirmed instead that God will use life’s troubles to build our character, growing our hope in Him.

It’s in His strength that God develops our trust in His overcoming power. The butterfly was cheated from growing stronger to fly. But in Christ, we can rejoice as struggles lift us with character to God our deliverer.