Reacting Spelled Doom For This ButterflyReacting vs Responding

Red-banded Hairstreak butterflies are a favorite of mine. They are so numerous in the fall at our farm that you can pick them up by hand. It isn't unusual for one to land on me.


As I wandered with my camera photographing Red-banded Hairstreaks in the fall, I startled one of these butterflies. It immediately flew away, instinctively reacting to my movement near it.



It flew directly into the grasp of a spider. Within a split second, it was caught. I took a photo but it was not the photo that I had intended to take of that particular butterfly.



As I snapped photos of this little dying/dead butterfly, I thought about its death. If it had known that I intended no harm, that I simply intended to take its photo, it could have sat still. It would not been lunch for the spider. It simply reacted instinctively. Normally, that instinct saves its life again and again. This time, the instinct to flee cost it its life.

I find myself reacting instinctively too often. Instead of responding to a situation or a comment, I react. 'Reacting' is speaking and/or acting without thinking through the costs or benefits of an action. 'Responding' is thinking about a situation and speaking and/or acting after thinking it through.  Many times we do not have time to add prayer time before responding.  When time is available, praying before responding increases our ability to respond in the most appropriate manner.

This has been a hard lesson for me. Like the butterfly, reacting is instinctive and it usually takes a few hard knocks to learn the lesson to respond, not to react. Unlike the butterfly, reacting hasn't cost my life but it has cost in other ways.

I think of Peter. He had so much faith. When it came to reacting, he was a professional. [Matthew 14] Peter knew that if Jesus would ask him to walk out to him on the water, he could do it. "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." And off he went, climbing over the edge of the boat and went toward Jesus. Evidently he went a little ways because when he took his eyes off Jesus, looked at the wind (effects of the wind) he began to sink. If he were close to the boat, he'd have turned and grabbed it. Peter could swim.    [John 21]  [Back to Matthew 14] When Peter started to sink, he said to Jesus, "Lord, save me." Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. I can just imagine Jesus' grin while he chided Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Peter was so quick to just 'do' things without thinking and if often got him into trouble. Often his intentions were good or at least were not bad. [John 18] When Jesus was arrested, Peter cut of a man's ear trying to protect Jesus. Once again, Jesus chided Peter. I don't really imagine a grin this time, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" Peter had reacted, not thinking about what Jesus had just been telling them, that this was going to happen.

When Jesus was taken to Annas [John 18] Peter was still reacting. He denied knowing Jesus three different times. Jesus had even told him that he was going to deny him three times. Peter should have been warned and cautious. Instead, Peter was reacting again. We should remember this is the Peter that was faithful, so full of love, so concerned, that he followed Jesus when he was taken away. (He and John both had followed Jesus as he was taken away.) 

Peter's later years were as full of faith as his earlier years with Jesus. As I read of Peter in the book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit, I sense a bit of slowing down in his reactions and more sense of responding to situations.

This impetuous man who was so quick to react to situations instead of respond to them was a man that God used in mighty ways. Reacting and making mistakes (even big ones) doesn't mean God can't use us. Peter was the man who was instrumental for bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles. [Acts 10] This is the man who gave a speech at Pentecost [Acts 2] and at the temple [Acts 3]. This the a man who was used by God in miraculous ways.

It is encouraging to me to read about Peter. I relate to him in some ways. Like Peter, I tend to react. It is soothing to realize that the same God who used Peter and Paul is the same God who can use me in spite of my faults.   

I learned that the best way to 'respond' is with prayer and Bible study. When I think the situation through, look for instances in the Bible that can be applied to the situation, and pray for God's guidance, things flow much smoother.

Butterfly PredatorsSoul Predators

Butterflies have a fairly easy life; it is their death that is hard.


The natural death of butterflies is to be eaten alive.


From a spider to a katydid ...




... from a praying mantis to a robber fly ...


... there are hundreds of different kinds of predators just looking for lunch. Day and night they're all around, searching.

Don't we see this everywhere we go? Uh, I mean, for us as Christians!

The devil is out there at work, in the car, in stores, in movies, in magazines, in newspapers, out there EVERYWHERE searching for anyone he can devour also. He even enters our home when he can.

Butterflies don't have protection; we do. God is watching out for us. Our bodies will be lost, like the butterflies, but our souls are eternally protected.

We can see in ways butterflies cannot see. We can determine from where our spiritual attacks come. We have each other to help watch and protect us. Most of all, we have God that protects our souls. The only reason we need fear is if we do not watch out and let the devil take us.

I Peter 5:8-9 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

Mark 14:38 "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Tattered Butterflies and Tattered People

Butterflies with tattered wings are a normal everyday part of life. I used to look at them and dismiss them as 'not beautiful'.  Now when I see them, I appreciate tattered broken butterflies more than freshly emerged perfect butterflies.



The Viceroy butterfly above is missing matching bits of its hind wings. Obviously it had been sitting with wings folded over its back, resting. But something intended for it to be lunch.  When the predator grabbed it, its wings broke and it flew away. If its wings had not broken it would no longer exist.  It would have been lunch.

This Gulf Fritillary butterfly is simply tattered from living life. I noticed it flying in the garden and snapped a few photos to record its triumphs in life. With a great deal of its wings missing, it was still flying about and living a good life. It drank nectar from several species of flowers before flying away to another area of the garden.

Sharon Maiden is a wonderful woman that I'm honored to be able to call my friend. She always brightens my days with her letters. No matter how hard my day has been, her letters leave me laughing. In one recent letter she wrote, "I am on my knees, and that ain't so easy anymore, the floor is way to far down for me these days." Laughing, I knew that she has victory over life's challenges. Although life and age has its toll, it also has its triumphs. I hope I can develop the outlook I see in her letters. No matter what happens, she is upbeat and funny, leaving her friends laughing and thankful for her like Paul was thankful for the Philippians.

I enjoy listening to people who share their life's ups and downs. Oh, they are missing wing parts too! Scales are missing; sometimes their 'color' is a bit drab. Sometimes large 'wing bits' are missing. But they are 'flying' in spirit if not in body. The more they are tattered, the more true beauty shines through them.

From health problems to relationship challenges, job cuts to loss of loved ones, we all change as we live from day to day. For some of us, these changes start at birth. Others have protected lives and the changes come later in life.

The 'tatter' we see in each other are often badges of triumph. Perhaps some of the tatters were our own fault. We made bad choices, but when we come out of them 'flying', we are triumphant.

I have a friend who lost his leg at the age of eight. Using crutches for over 40 years, he has done everything a man with two legs could do, except wear two shoes. And unlike many of us with two legs, he always has a smile and positive outlook on life. Bumping into him always leaves one with a smile and a bit more energy in one's step.

I hope and pray that even with my tatters, that I will live my life from now on so that those who think of me will give thanks to God as I thank God for people in my life like Sharon.


Philippians 1:3 "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God."