During church this morning, I heard these words in my spirit:

“I will move you out of your place of comfort, but I will not leave you or forsake you in the process. I will cover you and lead you with My presence.”

Those words stayed with me.

Later that day, while I was walking around our property, I noticed a butterfly resting on some purple flowers. At first, I was drawn to its beauty. Then I looked more closely.

Its wings were torn. Pieces were missing. It looked as though it had escaped more than a few hungry birds.

My first thought was, “This little guy has been through some battles!” 😂

But despite its damaged wings, it was still flying.

Still moving forward.

Still landing among the flowers.

Still beautiful.

In that moment, the words I had heard at church came back to me. That battered little butterfly became a picture of what God had been speaking to my heart.

God Will Move Us Beyond What Is Comfortable

We often think of comfort as something good—and sometimes it is. But comfortable does not always mean healthy.

We can become comfortable with what is familiar, even when what is familiar is hurting us. We can become comfortable living in fear, remaining in unhealthy relationships, repeating destructive patterns, or settling for less than what God has for us.

I have seen this many times in recovery. People can become accustomed to chaos because chaos is what they know. Freedom may be better, but at first it feels unfamiliar. Healing requires us to leave behind old habits, old environments, old relationships, and old ways of thinking.

God loves us too much to leave us where we are.

There are times when He will lead us out of what feels safe and familiar. He may ask us to step into something we have never done, go somewhere we have never been, or trust Him in an area where we cannot see the outcome.

The fact that we feel uncomfortable does not mean we have missed God. Sometimes discomfort is evidence that we are growing, changing, and following Him beyond the boundaries of what we already know.

Covered Does Not Mean Untouched

We sometimes misunderstand what it means to be covered by God.

We may think His covering means nothing painful will ever touch us. We assume that if God is leading us, the road should be easy and everything should work out exactly as we imagined.

But Scripture shows us something different.

God did not keep the Israelites from reaching the Red Sea, but He made a way through it.

He did not keep the three Hebrew men from entering the furnace, but He joined them in the fire.

He did not keep Daniel out of the lions’ den, but He closed the lions’ mouths.

God’s covering does not always mean we will avoid every battle. Sometimes it means that what comes against us will not be allowed to destroy His purpose for our lives.

The promise is not that we will make it through life untouched.

The promise is that we will never walk through it alone.

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
— Exodus 33:14

Your Scars Do Not Disqualify You

That butterfly’s wings were no longer perfect, but they still carried it.

Life has a way of leaving marks on us. Addiction, loss, betrayal, rejection, failure, and disappointment can tear away pieces of who we once were. We may come through a difficult season feeling damaged, changed, or incomplete.

But our scars do not mean God has abandoned us.

They do not erase our value.

They do not cancel our calling.

Sometimes our scars are evidence that what tried to destroy us did not succeed.

You may not look or feel the same after everything you have endured. You may not move quite like you once did. But God is not finished with you. He can use every part of your story—including the painful chapters—to encourage someone else who is still fighting to survive.

Your wounds may become the place from which you minister.

Your struggle may become someone else’s hope.

Your testimony may become proof that God still restores, redeems, and leads His people forward.

Keep Flying

Perhaps God is moving you out of your place of comfort right now.

You may be entering a new season without knowing exactly where the road will lead. You may feel vulnerable, uncertain, or afraid. You may already have a few scars from the journey.

Keep moving.

God has not left you.

His presence is still leading you. His hand is still covering you. His purpose for your life remains.

You may feel battered.

You may be missing a few pieces.

You may not fly quite like you once did.

But you are still here.

Your story is not over. God is still working, still leading, and still bringing beauty from everything you have survived.

Battered wings can still fly.

“We are… struck down, but not destroyed.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:8–9