I remember so vividly how as a young boy I would wait for nightfall to come, then burst outside on a mission that would keep me busy for hours! My glass jar with holes poked in the lid had just enough grass in it to help showcase my soon-to-be prizes...only to watch my 'prizes' fly off into the night air. I loved fireflys...or lightnin' bugs as I call them. There were very few nights during the summer that I didn't participate in this nightly ritual.I had almost forgotten what that felt like...
It's been years since those hot delta nights. And I must admit there have been many nights during the summer that I wish I could still see the countless lights floating aimlessly in the dark. As the years have passed...with all the relocations that our family has been a part of...and with such hectic schedules, ofttimes small things such as lightnin' bug watching doesn't even manage to make it on any to-do list that I might have. And until this past week, I really didn't realize just how much I missed it.
For some unknown reason, I ended up out back of our house just enjoying the night breeze. It had been a crazy day at work, and long after supper, I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed outside. The wind was slightly blowing which gave a slight chill in the air. It was a great way to cap off the day. As the day slowly gave way to dusk with darkness waiting to dominate the sky, they began to appear. One by one, dozens, eventually hundreds of lightnin' bugs began their dance on the night air. And that flood of memories from my childhood came rushing over me like an unstoppable wave. All at once I was whisked away, back to the delta...and into a somewhat 'childlike' state, unlike anything I've ever experienced before. By this time the darkness had overcome the light and our backyard had joined forces with the open field behind us and together they had morphed into this gigantic mass of blackness....blackness, except for, what is now thousands of fireflys dancing on the night sky. I felt like a little boy again...
There, surrounded by countless creatures that, just by nature, have to shine...they have to light up, I heard His Voice.
And it echoed through the night air...
"Remember all those nights as a little boy you marveled at these magnificent creatures?"
Yes Sir.
"Remember how you were captivated...anxiously awaiting for night to come just so you could go outside?"
Oh, Yes Sir!
"That was the beginning of a vision I had for you!"
What?!
"It was there, years ago that I placed this urgency in your heart. An urgency that could only be taught through the eyes of a child. And it's time for that urgency to now become reality."
At that moment I began to see lightnin' bugs through a whole different set of eyes...
It's these very small, innocent creatures that give us the greatest example of what Christianity is actually all about. No matter where they are or what they're doing or where they're going they have to 'let their light shine'. They can't help it. It's the way they're designed...it's their nature...it's their DNA.
As Christ-Followers, this should be our DNA too! We should be so filled with the Holy Spirit that wherever we might be, we can't help but let our light shine! The love of Christ should glow in us so freely, that we don't even think about it...it should be in our DNA...it should come natural...
The world gets darker with each passing hour, so I've gotta get ready. Got my Mason Jar ready to go...can't wait to get outside! But I can't forget the one secret that He's taught me: Christians 'er I mean lightnin' bugs, shine the brightest, in the darkest of nights...
