I single-handedly killed, not one, but at least a dozen butterflies yesterday. A dozen!
I winced over each one.
Never before in 24 years had I seen so many butterflies in the first two miles from our home. There were hundreds – dancing in the over-grown weeds and all over our country roads!
Why this tragedy?
An email.
Pushing up against a deadline, I attempted to crank out one last email before I had to depart for an important appointment. My five-minute window for this email took ten. With no margin for error, I would now be late.
Despite attempting to slow down and navigate through this plethora of dancing, darting, beautiful creatures (of all sizes and color), I was not willing to drive 5 miles an hour.
Why?
I was in a hurry.
Here’s a question for us all. How much of my day am I in a hurry?
Then we need to ask ourselves, because of this hurry, what gets . . .
- Neglected?
- Marginalized?
- Rushed?
- Trampled?
Are you chronically in a hurry on your way to work? School? Church? Meetings?
What can you do today to plan for a buffer zone? How can you create some breathing room as your travel from place to place? Can you build in 5-7 extra minutes of margin?
This might just be enough time to . . .
- Take note of God’s beautiful world
- Be aware of the condition of your soul
- Chat with a gas station attendant
- Breathe
- Not kill a dozen butterflies
What do you think?
It just might be worth it.
Convicting post, Brenda! Thank you!
Yes it is! The butterflies are flying and the choices I make, matter.
So grateful for grace, the love songs Jesus sings over us.
I love this! Yes! Killing the butterflies is tragic, but how many people do we kill as we hurry past them, Rush their need for some attention, shut the door in thei faces? I’m guilty, but God is helping me do better. Put up the iPad and listen to my grandson’s rambling about quantum physics or the most recent video game. Maybe I’m praying. Prayer is more important, right? No, not really. As I listen to this teen, I can be holding up before the Father. Prayer isn’t always words. Often it’s relationships being joined with the Father. Butterflies are beautiful, but people are chosen.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Preach it, sweet sister! This is love.
This one was awesome! I think of my rest in terms of blocks of time. I don’t often consider that my hurry mentality is a detriment to peace and rest. Thank you!
I re-learned a lot that day. As a born and bred Type A — it need this truth before me at all times. I’m asking for a butterfly for Christmas this year.