Prayer: Nature and Fireflies

Everybody needs a week off once in a while, right?

Here's our newest post, courtesy of Julie Schneider. Enjoy.

As the bugs begin to pester and the fireflies light up the hillside, I am reminded of how alive the earth becomes as summer arrives. We are surrounded with colorful wildflowers popping up in every corner, the babbling sound of our creek, the singing birds in the morning, the sun shining longer, and the season of many crops. There is much to be thankful for as we journey through a summer of beauty and life.
One thing that excites me the most at this time, in this place is the nightly presentation in the trees.
Growing up, my neighbor’s brothers, sisters and I would get a big kick out of catching lightning bugs. We would poke many holes in the lid of a jar, fill it up with some grass, and trap some bugs there for a while. It was exhilarating to catch one in between my hands and show my mom how many I got. Most of the time, we would forget about them and leave them in the jar to slowly pass away. I didn’t realize that was a mean thing to do. Regardless, to me, lighting bugs were the coolest creatures on earth and the mystery behind their little glow blew my mind.
Over time, I suppose I lost sight of lightning bugs and stopped noticing them.
When I moved to West Virginia and saw the glimmer in the hills for the first time, I realized once again how much I still get a kick of them. I also discovered how amazing they really are. Last summer, I was introduced to some of the best spots to watch them on our holler, where there isn’t any light to glare out the glowing show.
It’s incredible to witness how spectacular the hillside becomes when it’s flooded with thousands of mini sparkling bugs. As I find myself staring quite a bit lately, I also find myself in prayer with God, wondering how nature could put on such a good show. I wonder if God knew how cool this was, and I quickly realized that maybe God was asking me the same question. Do you see as God sees?
Perhaps, we are always surrounded by God in nature, not just with the amazement of fireflies, but with all living creatures and plants. As we journey through this summer, let us always be mindful of the things we encounter that both annoy us and astound us. Maybe God is present everywhere, and if we allow ourselves to see as God sees, we won’t find it too difficult to be amazed!