By the light of fire flies

One of the joys of a midwestern summer is watching fire flies. If the air temperature and humidity are just right, hundreds are visible just in our own backyard, reaching from the ground to the tops of the trees. Their winking and blinking light up the darkness as they go about their business, and each year I am inspired by their displays.

This past week, we got a double feature light show, when fire flies were the opening act and then the main feature of large thunderstorms began. The deep night was lit up like mid day by the sheet lighting, and welcome rain began soon after. When the storms passed, the fire flies offered an encore, once again flashing away low and high.

Each summer, even though I know they are coming, I am filled with amazement by the fire flies and the thunderstorms. They remind me of wonders that are not human made, of ways in which the world works that are surprising, in large and small ways, as they interrupt our daily life with their sights. 

That is a good enough image for how we can walk in this life with God, willing to be surprised by common every day things that can bring us joy and wonder if we only stop and look, if we give time for amazement to become part of perhaps over programed lives. It is well worth it, to drop our schedules and open our eyes to the dancing lights and flashing skies that are right in front of us.