Wait

The butterflies are migrating. I have seen them in all sorts of places in small numbers. We happened to run into one in a WalMart parking lot the other day when we were loading up the trunk after a shopping excursion.

My daughter, Hannah, happened to notice it a moment too late just as she closed the lid of the trunk after we finished unloading. We were alarmed as we saw just the wings of the butterfly on the outside, the rest of it under the hood. So we quickly unlocked the trunk and released the butterfly which landed on the ground directly below.

Hannah was so concerned about the butterfly, wondering if it would manage to eventually fly again or if the damage done to it's body parts was too far gone. So she thought to pick it up and bring it in the car to give it some time to recover from this unexpected injury.

But getting the butterfly off the ground wasn't an easy task. I wasn't quite sure what to do. Hannah attempted to pick it up by the wings but unsuccessfully. So she asked me to try. I've never handled a butterfly up close before so I knew nothing of the proper way to do so. I was also concerned for my safety with cars coming and going behind me. So I carefully nipped the top of its wings with tips of my forefinger and thumb and plopped it into Hannah's waiting hand.

I was to discover later when sharing the event with my husband that touching a butterfly's wings will automatically make it impossible for the butterfly to fly again because it causes a disturbance of the white powder dust that resides on the silky surface. (Hannah noticed the dust later on the palm of her hand.)

Thus, even though we meant well in trying to save the butterfly, we ultimately did it irreparable harm unknowingly.

Situations can arise that cause perplexity. And when we don't find an immediate solution, we can act in haste. We feel like if we don't do something Now, something else may go wrong to make the situation worse. (Like, the butterfly being run over by a car.)

So we get our hands in the situation. And often without knowing it, we can cause irreparable harm, where there's nothing we can do to remedy the situation. And, of course, in our hindsight we realize we should have waited to act.

We later see how timing is so important when making decisions, when choosing to do this or that. When we act prematurely, we may be heading off opportunities that were in the process of developing but were not yet ready for our involvement.

Keeping ourselves centered along with our immediate and long term goals in front of us will often give us the structure we need to keep our feet on the ground and our hands from stirring up the pot before it's ready to cook.

The steam will rise in due time. And if we wait for just the right moment, when the time is ripe, we will get what it is we are looking for, what we dream of. And it will taste of perfection.

Listen to your instincts. Don't move in haste out of fear or ego. Wait until the appropriate time. Let the rumination process come to its completeness, its fullness. Don't rush destiny.

The Creator of the Universe is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Listen to that still small voice.

And when the time comes to act, all will be in the proper place, and all the dimensions will come together in one beautiful fell swoop.

As if on the wings of a migrating butterfly who knows exactly when and where it is going.

© 2010 by Dawn Herring