The Ultimate Butterfly Effect

Part 1 of 3
By Dawn Ford

I have a dear friend who is very into Physics. In an attempt to have some frame of reference and to increase our possible conversation topics, I did what everyone does now-a-days...I did a Google search. Before I was buried too deep in the endless cycle of information I came upon some fascinating research – it’s called the Butterfly Effect.

In 1963, Edward Lorenz, a mathematician, gave a presentation to the New York Academy of Sciences. His theory, called the Butterfly Effect, stated that a butterfly could flap its wings and set air molecules in motion that in turn would move other air molecules — which would then move additional air molecules — eventually becoming able to influence weather patterns on the other side of the planet. For years this theory remained an interesting myth. In the mid 1990s, however, physics professors from several universities, working in tandem, proved the butterfly effect was accurate, viable, and worked every time. It has since been given the status of a law and is now known in scientific circles as the sensitive dependence on initial conditions.

That’s pretty much a fancy way of saying that everything in weather is interconnected and the slightest change in a pattern could have profound affects. Which got me thinking, does the Butterfly Effect only apply to weather or could it translate to other areas? Could we apply the concept to our lives? What would happen if we looked at every interaction or action we take, as having the potential to be extremely significant? We would have to realize that everything we do matters...whether positive or negative, whether good or evil, EVERYTHING WE DO MATTERS.

We can’t change the past, but isn’t it safe to assume we could make small changes now that will have a huge impact later? What if we made a conscious effort that when we come in contact with others, we would be a positive Butterfly Effect in their lives? How would their lives be changed? How would ours be changed?

Just think if all of us decided to flutter our wings with a little more kindness, a little more patience, a little more forgiveness, a little more love. We could permanently affect those around us. And then what if we took it a step further? What if we fed someone, clothed them, provide shelter, taught them to read, or gave them proper medical care?

Each of us have been given gifts and talents and we can’t waste or horde them. Each one of us is significant, special and here for a purpose. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s dramatic, but each one of us, by our own hand has the potential to alter thousands, millions, billions of lives. A positive Butterfly Effect...think about it, lives being changed, caught in a chain of events begun by you this day. So where would you begin?


Part 2 of this article will explore the tangible ways you can become a positive Butterfly Effect.

Dawn Ford is the VP and creative director for Infinite Love Ministries, a FL non-profit corporation dedicated to showing all the Infinite Love of Christ. www.infiniteloveminsitries.com