The whole “mistakes are just lessons and it is okay to be captain of the struggle bus” topic has been widely overdone. Man oh man have I been trying to steer clear of talking about it for the past month, yet here I am feeling the ugly urge to talk about it.

As September has faded, we have woken up the members of Green Day and layered on the thick eyeliner with them and started to struggle with even the simple tasks. The syllabus week flirting and flings have finally died out and the glorious holiday season seems all too far away, so what else is there to do but jump on the struggle bus, make mistakes like wearing distasteful amounts of eyeliner and rock out to American Idiot and bask in angst.

It is the season of tough times.

And yes you are making mistakes.

And yes they suck.

And yes, they are just lessons that you will indeed look back on with a thankful heart.

Blah blah blah.

What I really want to talk about is why are we falling into these tough times? Why is it so difficult to make the right choice? Why is God putting us through hardships?

The cruel answer is that it is just science.

Without struggle, there wouldn’t be an achievement.

Without drama, life wouldn’t be fun.

Without angst, there wouldn’t be growth.

When butterflies are fully grown in their cocoon, they have to eat away at their cocoon in order to get out. The process and struggle that they go through, trying to tear away at their old home and breathe in the new air, pumps blood into through their system and they learn how to be independent. When scientists have cut open cocoons for butterflies, they die soon after they feel the welcoming earthly air. The first things that butterflies have to do is struggle to survive. Once they push past that struggle, man, are they glorious. Just the most beautiful creatures that I am sure God designed just for our eyes to rejoice in.

As I hear people crying out “where is God”, “why is He doing this”, “how come this is so hard”, I just want to say, He is just making us into wonderful butterflies. We too have to struggle to survive so that we can become these beautiful creatures that are desired and lead by God.

As Kelly Clarkson is screamin’ “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, God is whispering “what doesn’t kill you makes you more in my image”.

I am agreeing with both of them and saying that to achieve strength, a heart like Jesus, this butterfly-like status, you must fight.

Now, I know, fighting is hard.

I wish that Green Day was making a special sword that could magically fight through the daily battles of life, instead of sleeping all September. But unfortunately we have to figure it out one our own, cling to our beliefs and our friends to make it through.

We are all different, riding a unique struggle bus, some with much larger troubles than others, so the type of fighting varies for all of us.

All I can really say is that it will be worth it.

Don’t be scared.

It is okay to suck.

And, I am praying for you.