A Night of Fireflies

Photo by: Cody J. Haines

By: Carole L. Haines

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
(Matthew 16:25)

Thoughts Of Condemnation and confliction were brimming over in my mind, not toward others, but those pesky self-accusing thoughts. Things like:

“It’s never gonna work out! Things will always be this hard, and that’s your own fauilt.”

“What’s the use, as diligent as you are, things just keep cropping up to trip you up and hinder you. Just relax and take it easy. Do what you want for a while,” forget about all those other things.”

“You have made a mess of your life. There’s no redeeming it now. You’re too old, too far along in years. Forget about it and just move on to enjoying the rest of what’s left.

“Just take your ball and go home, forget about the Body of Christ, they will never really accept you anyway. Launch out into a ministry all your own instead.”

Just a cacophony of confusing, condemning and conflicting information. It was like walking into a forest where I didn’t see that bee’s nest up ahead and walked right under it, and now they’re angry and stinging me. That’s how those thoughts felt, like stinging bees.

But God’s Word tells me this:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)
I got up went outside, sat back in the good old Adirondack chair and gazed up towards the sky. To my wonder and surprise, the treetops were on fire with tiny little flickering lights. Dozens and dozens of them. A calming myriad of tiny little lights displayed before me. I just gazed in wonder; it took my breath away. I just marveled at these silent creatures, flickering and flying about. I researched why these creatures flash and sparkle. Here are 3 interesting facts.

Fireflies are energy efficient

Fireflies’ lights are the most efficient lights in the world. One-hundred percent of the energy created is emitted through the light. In comparison, an incandescent bulb emits 10 percent of its energy as light and a fluorescent bulb emits 90 percent of its energy through light.

Their light shows are mating acts

Most of the fireflies flying around are males looking for a mate. Each species has a specific light pattern that they use to communicate with each other. Once a female spots a male she likes, she will respond with the same light pattern. Usually females are perched on plants, waiting for a mate.

Some species synchronize their flashing

 12 Fascinating Facts About Fireflies, by Katie Pohlman June. 10, 2016 11:38AM EST

I tell you all this because I feel God prompted me to go outside and just sit before this wonder of nature. so He could encourage my downtrodden heart. These tiny little creatures are small and seemingly insignificant by themselves, hardly noticeable. But together they created a Symphony of Lights to rival the greatest fireworks display. I feel the Lord was enabling me to see through nature, that I may feel like an insignificant little light in this world, but with all the other little lights in the Body of Christ, we put on quite a show, a luminous display of God’s Glory, to a watching, weary world.

⁵ Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. (Romans 15:5-7)

Feeling insignificant, overwhelmed. Maybe get up, go outside tonight and gaze up at the sky. Even if you don’t have fireflies, you have His stars to tell you the same thing.