Defying Labels

I was coming into work early this week and a co-worker said, “Did you see the butterfly outside?” Intrigued, I went outside by our back entrance and there was the largest most beautiful insect that I had ever seen with wings that were absolutely stunning. I was in awe because as I am drawing closer to the launch of Butterfly Ministries, I am always in prayer asking God to send signs that I’m on the right path so of course, I interpreted this as confirmation that I was indeed, on the right path.

She was sitting on the concrete not moving at all but I could see why as she appeared very pregnant and ready to lay her eggs. I wasn’t going to let her sit there in her weakened state so that a bird or raccoon could come and devour her and all of the cargo that she was carrying. I came into my office and started calling the zoo and exotic animal hospitals to find out what to do because she appeared that she wasn’t from here but someplace warm.

My co-worker put her in a box and brought her to my office. Everyone was gathering to see her and taking pictures. They were amazed at this beautiful creature with a wing span of over 5 inches long. They kept saying, “What a beautiful butterfly!” Then a few others stepped in and snapped back with a snarky, “It’s not a butterfly, it’s only a moth!”

After hearing that, I was hurt. Moths were plain and only came out at night, we found her early morning and she was anything but plain. My co-worker went on google and found out that she was indeed a moth. It also said that she was very rare and after emerging from her cocoon, she doesn’t eat or leave her tree and only lives for a few days to mate, reproduce and pass on. What was amazing is that it was considered rare to see one of them and to find them in an urban community at daylight. We were blessed just by being able to be in her presence and catching a glimpse of her beauty. We found out that she needed to lay her eggs soon and it suggested that we release her in a maple tree. My co-worker and I took her out to a maple tree and put her on a branch. We looked at one another with a feeling of accomplishment and with big smiles as though we were parents saying good-bye to their child.

That experience made me think. When I heard, “It’s not a butterfly, it’s only a moth” I guess underneath, it felt like it was the enemy trying to get in my mind and spirit. I am writing a book on my transformation from caterpillar to a butterfly and preparing for the launch of Butterfly Ministries. I heard, “You’re not a butterfly, you’re only a moth!

All my life there was someone telling me what I wasn’t or couldn’t be. I was told, I’ll never be successful and that I am just another statistic. I may try to be a butterfly, but I should just face it, I'm merely a moth. Moth's live in darkness, so I should just accept my fate.

Although moths may dwell in the dark they are still attracted to light desiring something brighter than the darkness that they live in.

I guess I could relate to that moth. She was found out of her natural habitat and she was pregnant. Did she not realize the risk that she was taking to fly away while she was carrying her eggs? Maybe before she died, she wanted to fly and see the beauty of the sky and the feel the breeze and the warmth of the sunlight. Maybe she wanted a better tree for her eggs than the tree that she had. Maybe she wanted to prove that she wasn’t just a moth, some label that Science put on her, that she wanted to prove that although she may have been born a moth, she was going to transform into a butterfly.

No one ever became great by accepting man made labels. God created the species and man labeled them. Maybe moths really are butterflies.

If God created you to be a butterfly, don’t accept the label of a moth. You are a beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made butterfly.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥

The Gift of Life

Spring is here! One of my favorite parts of spring are the sunrises and sunsets. I love to drive over the Eagle Creek bridge to catch a glimpse of the sky overlooking the lake that God paints every morning and evening. It is absolutely breath-taking.

My kids and I enjoy watching the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. It amazes us to watch animals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, insects and their journey through this life. There is a new series on the Discovery Channel called Life and we have been anticipating it's premier.

After watching the first two episodes, I couldn't help but think about the creativity, tenacity, intelligence and beauty of these creatures. They also evolve just as we do, but no matter how much evolution takes place, two things are still certain. All creatures struggle to survive and they have a strong desire to reproduce. That's life.

Wow. How could you not witness all of God's marvelous works and beauty and not believe or submit to Him? Maybe it's just that we are too distracted by small things that don't matter.

It makes you wonder the point of it all. You know, that thing called the food chain and the tragedy of the unfortunate species that have a very low spot on the totem pole of life. The irony is that humans place the top spot on the food chain, having dominion over all of these billions of species, but yet it seems that they, the creatures have it right.

They live and survive on pure instinct and take a breathe of life for the primary reason of their purpose. To give to nature and to take from nature. To seize and to sacrifice. They give with their work ethic, survival skills and often their lives and providing nourishment for the creature that is a little higher on the food chain, but before they leave, they typically reproduce, thus allowing the cycle of life to continue. Then, even when they take, they are really providing. When they take a life for by hunting for food, they are keeping that specific creature from over-populating the land enabling others to share it.

Even the storms, the sunrises and the sunsets serve their purpose perfectly. The storms come to give water for all species to drink and to water the plants and trees, the sunlight gives light to see and heat for warmth and growth. The sunsets to provide rest to the weary and camouflage for the night-time hunters.

They serve their purpose so perfectly. All of this was created as a perfect and divine gift for us, for God's children. We are to be just as the creatures. To have a purpose. To seize and to sacrifice in this life. Even though the cricket, who has about a million more species looking to devour him and at any moment, he still survives from day to day without worrying about tomorrow. We are at the very top of the food chain yet we seem to worry more than that little cricket.

Take a look over your life. Do you seize more than you sacrifice? Do you take more than you give? Is there a natural balance? What's your purpose? Do you know what it is?

Only God can give you that insight.

I encourage you to take a walk in the park, change the channel to The Discovery Channel or visit your local lake. Drown out the distractions and noise and just pay a little bit closer attention to what surrounds you. It's called the gift of life.

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name." Isaiah 40:12, 26

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

"You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." Nehemiah 9:6


© Copyrights, All rights reserved
March 2010

Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Spring 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25