The Butterfly Effect

Good Monday morning to you.  I hope you had a good and restful weekend.  As you may know, I celebrated Carmen’s life and her birthday just a few weeks ago.  Last year her birthday included a walk through a butterfly garden after kayaking at Rainbow Springs State Park.  Let’s see what Butterflies have to do with our everyday-walking-around-kind-of-life with Jesus. We are going to talk about the Butterfly Effect.

Remember the movie with Ashton Kutcher, The Butterfly Effect?  It was about anything in the past that was changed in the slightest bit. If so, it would have a profound effect over time.  How does this relate to our personal life, our business, and our work?  Let’s check it out.

Todd Does Not Miss

I have a friend (Todd) who works for a riffle barrel company, one of the best in the world.  He also does long-range shooting competitions – and wins!  And he now has his own company related to all of this. He is pretty darn good.  I don’t understand all the math, but I do know that One mil on the scope at 100 yards equals 3.6 inches, and by the time the distance is 1000 yards, that same one mil will have widened by ten times to 36 inches (at least that is what I read).  😊 

So you can be off by a small fraction, at let’s say 100 yards, and still be pretty accurate.  But take that same “small amount” you are off and extend that out to 1000 yards. All of a sudden you are not even hitting the target.

Ah, It’s Good ‘Nuff

So if we draw a parallel to the Butterfly Effect, and small miss here, or a small miss there doesn’t seem to be much. But over time it can turn into a big miss. Or a big mess!  That takes me back to an earlier blog post about being “good ‘nuff” because it doesn’t seem like a big deal.  But being “good ‘nuff” doesn’t set you apart at all.  “Good ‘nuff” adds up to not-very-good over a period of time. It may have seemed minor at first, but now it’s very noticeable and you are totally missing it.

The thought here is that even the wind created by the flapping of butterfly wings from several days earlier can have a profound effect on the weather and wind today.

Hindsight is 20-20, right?  If I had only taken the time to do it right then. I wouldn’t be in the mess I am now.  And I should have made just a minor adjustment here or there. I would be so much further ahead now. If only I hadn’t taken that shortcut!

Colossians 3:23-24  NIV

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

This scripture helps me to keep it in perspective.  As long as I am working for someone else, my job is to make that owner or that company look good. My position or role doesn’t matter. That means I need to make the adjustments needed. As small as they may be I need to be the best I can be. So if I am doing that as though I am working for Jesus, I certainly don’t want to let Him down.  I want Him to celebrate my life, just like I celebrate Carmen’s life and her birthday. 😀

Who Do You Work For?

You may be working for the worst boss, the worst company, or the worst customer. Or you may be working along with a co-worker who is carrying a lot of baggage. It drains you. But you aren’t receiving your inheritance from them as a reward – right?  It comes from the Father.

Put that hard work in just like that funny-looking caterpillar that is crawling along the ground.  It puts in a lot of hard work to build and come out of that cocoon.  Like the caterpillar, this allows you to come out as a strong and beautiful butterfly ready to soar.  Any shortcuts weaken the outcome and can even mean an early death.

Challenge of the week: 

Small changes make a HUGE difference in the outcome.  Don’t find yourself wishing, in looking back, that you would have made those minor adjustments.  Do it now, put in what it takes to come out as a beautiful butterfly.  So be it!

Just for fun – Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle (formerly of Allies)…