The Butterfly Effect

Snare drum roll please... this is my 100th post! Oh Yeah! Just thought you would all like to know that.

The Butterfly Effect is a phrase that refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. Of course the butterfly cannot literally cause a tornado. The kinetic energy in a tornado is enormously larger than the energy in the turbulence of a butterfly. The kinetic energy of a tornado is ultimately provided by the sun and the butterfly can only influence certain details of weather events in a chaotic manner.

In thinking of this, my thoughts have wondered to my words and my actions and the change they can bring or not bring. I don't think we take time to think about eternity enough and how eternity for us can be affected by our words and actions. I know I speak words and act out without even thinking about the consequences they might bring. They could bring a tornado or when spoken and done with love divert a tornado. Even the smallest word or action that I might say can cause a ripple effect in the spiritual atmosphere of the church and my family.

Especially now with Isaiah being old enough to hear words and repeat them. The other day we heard him repeat a word that we do not say in our house. He heard someone else saying it, understood what it meant, and presceded to use it. Bethany and I had to bring correction to him and explain that we don't use that word because it is a very negative word. But it has made me think of all the negative words I say and the negative actions I commit that don't bring life but hinder and even destroy it.

I need Jesus to guard everything I say and do, not just for Bethany, Isaiah, and Chloe's sake, but for the sake of all who come to the New Life Center. And we need to have that same mentality. We do not want to usher in tornado's we want to divert them.