My New Wings

“If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.”
~ Anonymous

I made this canvas this morning, and I’ve been thinking about this quote all day. This is one of my new favorites. It seems to represent so many areas of my life lately. All the things that have been changing, mostly positive changes, have been giving me a new sense of self – like emerging from the cocoon with wings.

In a lot of ways, I feel like a new butterfly. I’ve talked about this in other blog posts, although I’ve used a different metaphor (coming out of the cave); I have been changing and growing, and learning to see myself in a totally new way the past two months, and this transformation has been amazing. Well, now that I have my new wings, I want to see how far I can fly! I was born to teach, and to write, and to create. If I stay where I am, I feel like I’m suffocating.

That’s because one area I’d like to change in my life is my job situation; I love children, and I love teaching, but where I work now is so stressful it makes me ill. The worst part about it is that all of the stress originates with one person. I know that I should be praying for her – and I do – and that I need to have patience and be professional and respectful. Those aren’t always easy to do, and I definitely struggle with them, but after two years I don’t want to fight anymore.

Tomorrow I have a chance to make this change a reality; I’m stepping out in faith, trusting that God will continue to lead me where He wants me to follow.