the butterfly effect....

From wikipedia...

"The butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions, where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state. The name of the effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the theoretical example of a hurricane's formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks before.

Although the butterfly effect may appear to be an esoteric and unlikely behavior, it is exhibited by very simple systems: for example, a ball placed at the crest of a hill may roll into any of several valleys fully depending on slight differences in initial position.

Note that the butterfly does not cause a tornado. The flap of the wings is a part of the initial conditions; one set of conditions leads to a tornado while the other set of conditions doesn't. It's possible that the set of conditions without the butterfly flapping its wings is the set that leads to a tornado"

I was sitting in church a few Sunday’s past.  It was Easter.  The teaching was on “the butterfly effect”.

The basic premise was this:  A single act can have impact around the world no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.  How appropriate this was for a day when we celebrate what Jesus did for us when he died on the cross and rose again with the keys to hell and the grave.  Some may deny this, some may scoff at it, but that single course of action changed everything... I know it did for me.

As I listened, I began to have another idea... a different path on the original theory of the butterfly effect.  And I began to ponder my own personal “butterfly effect”.  

Here it is.

Think about what happens for a butterfly to become a butterfly.  First it’s just a caterpillar... a grub.  Eating and crawling never knowing that inside there is a butterfly waiting to emerge.  Then one day, for no apparent reason other to us watching this completely content little grub finds a spot on a tree branch and confines itself into a cramped little chrysalis and stays put.  This little grub does not fight the place of stillness or tries to make things happen faster while there.  

We looking from the outside must also leave it alone.  Let the change occur without interference... and let’s be honest and all say how difficult that is to watch and not interfere.... 

Then, one day that same little grub begins to struggle and move and make it’s way out.  Not even knowing what it has become until it takes flight.  The very action of struggle bringing strength and energy into those small fragile wings.  

We on the outside must once again NOT interfere in the process.  We can encourage, speak life, but we have to leave our hands off the journey. Helping hands, even with the best intentions, can destroy the strength of a newly emerging butterfly.  

Do you see where I am going with this?  Can you follow the parable?

For the butterfly and for us it is this-

Are we willing to take the risk of letting to of one life so that we can begin to step out into another.. Being a caterpillar is nice.. you get to eat all the nice green leaves that you can find, but it will never satisfy that inner longing to fly.  

Are we willing to step out of our comfort zone and into a place of utter stillness so that change happen... 

Are we willing to be still so that we can be transformed... This is a hard one for me personally.  Giving up control and letting the change happen even when I can’t see it (cause it’s on the inside).... Waiting on a promise...trusting.... 

ugh... I know you get that one....

Can we let the change happen without trying to control it... in ourselves and in those around us...

We will go through the struggle that comes with transformation from one season into another.....

All of these little decisions are not really so insignificant when you think about the butterfly effect.  Because how we choose to act not only causes an impact on our own journey forward, but on those around us.  Whether an action is from a place of love or a place of fear, it will cause an impact.

And once we have emerged into that new place, will we embrace the change and go with it...

Will we embrace the sound of the butterfly’s wings?  Will we respond to the call of transformation?  

Do we even believe it is possible.......

I choose in this moment to believe.  I choose to step out into that place, find a branch and be still. To let that great big love of God does the work He has in His heart for me. 

The other thing that this Pastor said was this:  “Jesus was serious about transformation”.  

He was serious enough to do it Himself.....  

We don’t know what kind of tornado each of our wings can cause to happen.  We also need to remember that our struggle, our transformation can actually change things......

And.. 

How we believe in others...speak into their place of transformation is just as important as our own.  Encourage them.  Empower them.  Carry belief in them.... 

But keep your hands off their chrysalis. We will all emerge just as we are meant to. 


Strong and ready to fly.