I have developed a fascination for fireflies since living here in Nashville. The view from my back door is absolutely incredible overlooking the golf course with a giant weeping willow tree shadowing over the pond right down the hill. At night I like to sit out on the porch swing and watch the fireflies as I breathe in every bit of fresh air and I bask in the beauty of God’s breathtaking creation. One night while swinging outside watching the fireflies, I began to wonder, “What does a firefly look like up close?” I realized I had never seen one up close and had no idea what they actually looked like when they weren’t giving off that sparkle of light. As they danced all around the back yard I continued to ponder on the fact that when it comes to fireflies, you only see what they give off. If they aren’t giving off light at night, chances are, you are not going to notice them. And if you do, they wouldn’t catch your attention as much as they do when they are glowing. You see what they give off….light. And as I sat there, I began to pray, “God make me a firefly.” Not in a literal sense but in the sense that when people look at me, they see God’s light shining through me. I want to be a light for Christ and just like a firefly, people are only going to see what I give off. So if I am giving off negativity and dullness, that’s what people around me are going to notice and see… and that is not very appealing. Whereas if I were giving off a positive glow of happiness and light that I find in Jesus Christ, people are going to be more likely to be drawn to me and the image I give off. As a Christian and firm believer in Christ, I am called to live in the image of Jesus Christ, and that is so much more appealing than a dull and negative image…not to mention completely opposite of the image of Christ that He has called me to give off. If I want people to see the happiness, joy and peace that I find in Christ alone, then I need to live my life as a firefly for Christ, giving off his light so that it’s all people see when they look at me. A persona that they could sit for hours and just watch glow, just as I could sit for hours and watch the fireflies dance around in the backyard.
God, help me to be a firefly for You.
This is one of the coolest and most creative perspectives on Matthew 5 I’ve ever read. Amen make me a firefly also! Why did you stop blogging? I read a few of your posts starting with Desperate for you, mainly because I wrote a post called the exact same thing. You are a good writer! Keep writing blogs, I want to be encouraged by what God gives you!
Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement! I honestly don’t know why I stopped writing…I guess I just got to a point where I didn’t feel like anyone cared what I had to say and I guess got a little discouraged. Maybe I’ll start writing again…if it spoke to you maybe He’ll speak to others through my writing. Ha again, thank for the encouragement. I’m glad it spoke to you! God bless!