Total commitment to the eyeballs and beyond!

White Peacock

This White Peacock is really getting into its food.  The nectar that it needs is at the base of this flower.  The flower has a long tube throat and the butterfly's proboscis must reach the base of the flower to drink nectar.

This photograph shows the proboscis as it's curling up after it has finished drinking from that flower.  It's a long tube that curls into a very tight curl when it's not drinking.

A Cloudless Sulphur is really entering into its meal in this photo and the one below.

As was this Palamedes above and this Spicebush below.

 

That's a total commitment!  Getting this deep into a flower blinds the butterfly to what is going on around it.  That's total commitment.  It's not all the time that the butterfly is this deep into its food.  It's just a bit here and there. Sometimes it doesn't need to dig so deep.  Sometimes it does.    In the photo below, we see a Cloudless Sulphur that didn't need to dig deep into the flower at all to obtain nectar.

So what about me?  How committed am I?  Am I digging deep enough?  The answer is a resounding NO, not always.  My spiritual food is available through many 'flowers', from friends, messages, prayer, quiet time, and the Bible. 

Without taking time to totally commit myself, I will not gain the amount of 'nectar' I need to sustain my spiritual life as I should.  There is a point where one can spend too much time in spiritual issues and fail at living the life God meant one to live, interacting with others, earning a living, and enjoying life.  I'm not at that point, I'm falling short of spending enough time seeking 'nectar'.  There is a point where one knows he/she should commit more. 

Like the butterfly, I need to dig deeper into reaching the true nectar to give myself spiritual food to grow in the spirit.

Blue Morpho Butterflies

Dark butterflies blend in with shadows and tree trunks. These Blue Morpho butterflies were drinking from decaying fruit on a recent trip to the Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville.




When they flew, though, their beautiful blue upper wings caught everyone's attention! It's like flashes of light - somewhat resembling police car's lights!

There is a purpose of their wings being drab on the outside and the inside being bright and showy. When they rest or drink, their wings are closed and they blend into the surroundings - predators aren't as apt to notice them.

Having grown up in a family where Bible reading was as much a part of life as eating, I couldn't help but hear Jesus' words ring in my head.

Mark 4:21
And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?"

Matthew 5:14-16
14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Unlike a Blue Morpho, our 'light' is supposed to always shine. We aren't to hide our light.

It's hard to let it shine at times. Things we are tempted to do (or not do) can hide our light. We can 'blend in' easily by using language that other people use, trying to take revenge when we shouldn't, and other such actions. We should be proud to stand for honesty, peace, love, and Jesus.

It's a weakness when I try to blend in to avoid ridicule or sneering. It's a weakness when I bicker with people in order to defend myself against untruths about me. It's a strength when I stay silent and simply wait for the truth to reveal itself. It's a weakness when I 'go along' with those who are doing things that aren't pleasing to God in order to keep others from being angry with me. I should stand for Jesus even when it brings hard times and misunderstandings from my friends (and non-friends).

It took a while for me to realize that the strongest man is the one who yields to Christ and stands firm against ridicule. It's the weak man that gives in to peer pressure.