Catching Idle Butterflies

Idle Butterfly

I want to write in my blog today. Not unusual, that. Problem is the subject. Just when I think I have one, it flitters away, a butterfly refusing to be caught.

So I continue to search for an idle butterfly . . .

Every single one knows what I’m up to. They tease me, sitting on a leaf or flower, their eyes turned away and looking relaxed and comfortable. The moment I reach out to grab it, though, it flies away with a tiny, high-pitched giggle.

I can be stubborn and tenacious, though. No matter how long it takes me, I will find that truly idle, slow little butterfly of a subject.

. . .

Gotcha!!!!

chalaedra wrote an entry about her neighbor praying for her and SilverValkyre loves YOU! ’s business failure and would end up having to move. Turns out, that’s exactly what happened. (See "Invalid Entry"  for the particulars). I commented that I couldn’t imagine God answering any prayers with evil intent.

chalaedra responded with this:

I don't know I would really call his intentions evil, but they weren't pure. You know God DOES answer prayers we pray with self-seeking intentions from time to time. He does it to teach us and help us recognize the difference between following His will and going after our own selfish ends. He has let me follow my selfish paths often enough, goals I prayed fervently to achieve; when I get to where I'd longed so to be, He is waiting for me and He seems to say, "Okay, you got it. Now what?" Then he leads me back down the path toward His Will... It is a tactic He uses for the headstrong and willful, like me... like my neighbor. God does have a sense of humor!

The thing is, it took our knowing our neighbor was praying for everything we did to fail to show us he wasn't our friend and that we really weren't as happy or safe or secure there as we had thought. That wasn't where our hearts were or where we belonged. His hatred poisoned the whole neighborhood. It was probably as much our lesson as it was intended to be our neighbor's. I do believe God answers self-seeking prayers when there can be valuable lessons and movement toward good from the outcome. I learned a lot from it all, but I am not sure the neighbor did. That's between him and God, though and not my problem. I just feel sorry for him because he is so frightened, insecure and unhappy.

I thought her response was brilliant, and true. Many times I’ve prayed for certain things, have them answered the way I wanted, and then in the end regretting it. Most have been glib, silly requests, but the lessons I never forgot. The power of prayer should never be treated lightly.

We also discussed prayer in our Disciple class last night, and I mentioned chalaedra’s words.

Jesus said we should take everything to God in prayer, to pray unceasing, and to never be afraid to ask for anything, no matter how silly it might appear either to ourselves, others, or even to God. He wants us to talk to Him, about anything and everything. I see it no differently than talking to you about idle butterflies, or you talking to me about a leaky refrigerator. It’s fun, and I’d like to think of God as being fun.

I do, however, think we need to be careful about our heart’s intentions as we pray. If we pray with ill-intent, then it will come back to bite us, to say nothing of the effect it might have on someone else.

In chalaedra’s case, it did work out – in a round-about way – in her and SilverValkyre loves YOU! ’s favor, but what of the cost to the neighbor, both material and spiritual? Like she said, I hope he’ll learn this lesson well, and no longer be cruel in his thoughts and prayers.