Written by Deb del Villar, Director of Communications | ORIGINALLY POSTED ON LEGACY COALITION
Our evening was spent on the back deck, sipping cold lemonade and listening to the birds sing their goodnight songs. As nighttime and darkness fell in symphony upon us, the darkened tree line was soon aglow. My mind filtered through the many wonderful childhood memories of those first summer nights when the mesmerizing, twinkling lights would appear. My parents would let us stay up later than usual to catch this amazing phenomenon.
We would have our bug houses, otherwise known as squeaky clean old mayonnaise jars with punched holes in the lid, all ready for the next inhabitants. Then for as long as our parents would let us, we would chase and catch lightning bugs.
I use the name lightning bug because I grew up in the Northeastern United States. Other parts of the country call them fireflies. Only much later did I learn that neither name is truly accurate. These flickering, blinking insects are beetles. And there are a lot of different varieties of them – over 2,000.
I kept looking and enjoying the free light show, realizing the darker it got, the brighter their lights appeared. It was as if time was standing still as I scanned the tree line for the flickering lights. I tried to guess where the next one would light up.
The light is the language of the firefly. It lets other lightning bugs know it is there. The life span of an adult lightning bug is short, from one to three weeks. During this time, their sole purpose is to continue their species into the next generation.
While I sat there in delight and wonder, spiritual lessons and applications came into view. One would be great to share with our youngest through oldest grandchildren. Additionally, there were lessons for us as well.
1. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)
Darkness cannot stop the light. Even the small light on the underside of a beetle dispels the darkest night. Wherever the beetle shines its light, the dark is illuminated with a glow. It is the same with Jesus – He is our light. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119: 105). We can count on Him to be with us and help us no matter how dark things may become. We need to constantly be on the lookout for His light and show our grandchildren that God is active and alive. He is greater than the darkness.
For the littlest of our grandchildren, this is a great time to point to the amazing creation of Our Creator. Who would have thought about creating beetles that shine like flashlights in the night? God did! God made the world and everything in it. God said it was good. See how many more things your littles can name that God created. End by taking time to thank God for His creation and our ability to enjoy it. You could say something like: God loves us so much He made this wonderful world, let’s thank Him.
2. Let your light shine before others. (Matthew 5:16)
The lightning bugs were eager and enthusiastic about sharing their light. Each species has a unique flash pattern and intensity of glow. They use their light to attract other lightning bugs.
May we be eager to share the light of Jesus with our grandchildren. We are each unique creations of God. May we be diligent about sharing His light in our own personal way, staying true to Scripture. May we shine our light with intensity and purpose.
May our light – our Christian example as grandparents – draw our grandchildren to us and not repel them. May our language be one of light – full of grace and truth. Then may we use this privilege of relationship to reach them with His truth.
3. Send out your light and your truth. (Psalm 43:3)
Chasing the lightning bugs across the yard was so fun as a young child. Their off-and-on lights would lead me across the yard and back. Always calling me to come and follow. May our lives draw our grandchildren to come and follow Jesus. May our gracious truthful words call them to come and follow Jesus.
May our lights shine brightly calling our grandchildren, leading our grandchildren to God and His dwelling place in heaven. May we intentionally guide them with our words, actions, and attitude to the hill that is higher than us.
4. More to gain in light than in darkness. (Ecclesiastes 2:13)
Did you know there is a species of lightning bug – Photinus carolinus – that has the amazing ability to flash synchronously? All of them flash in unison. You can see this naturally occurring phenomenon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It is such a sought-after event that a lottery is held to choose who can come to see it.
Do you know what would be amazing – what if parents and grandparents joined together in unison to be lights for the children? Shining, leading, and sharing the light together day by day. May our families be a bright synchronous team shining, drawing, and leading our grandchildren to the Great Light. May they too desire to capture and run hard following this light all the days of their lives. There is much to gain as we work together!
Conclusion
God promises us that whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. (John 3:21)
May God allow us to shine brightly for Him, helping to dispel the darkness while relying on Him. May we stay true to what Scripture teaches and remember to give God the glory when He blesses our efforts. May we be living examples and storytellers to our grandchildren that there is more gain in light than in darkness.
Maybe this summer God will give you the opportunity to share these verses and truth with your grandkids as you watch lightning bugs!
May we never forget that our time here is very short. Yes, it is remarkably longer than an adult lightning bug, but it is still very short in light of eternity. May we be focused on fulfilling our purpose of discipling this next generation and beyond. Shine bright, grandparent!
