Certain childhood memories seem to belong only to summer. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, summer evenings meant waiting for the sun to set, listening to the chorus of insects, and watching the first tiny lights create a field full of lights. Before long, my friends and I would be running barefoot through the yard, chasing lightning bugs. We carried empty clear glass jars with holes punched in the lids, carefully catching each little glowing insect, doing our best not to damage delicate wings or glowing abdomens.
Of course, we always had a goal. We wanted to catch enough lightning bugs to make the entire jar glow. In our young minds, if we could collect enough of them, maybe that jar would become a flashlight bright enough to light up our secret hideout. It never worked quite as well as we imagined, but that didn’t stop us from trying. There was something magical about those tiny flashes of light contrasting the dark summer night.
WATCHING THEM ILLUMINATE THE SKY
Honestly, I hadn’t thought about that childhood memory in years. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, my sister and her family came to visit from Massachusetts. One evening, as the lightning bugs began to appear, their family was completely captivated by the twinkling farm fields. They couldn’t stop talking about them. In fact, they asked if we could go on a “firefly walk” after dark for the sake of watching them illuminate the night sky.
Their excitement brought back my childhood memories of chasing fireflies. It struck me that nothing about the fireflies had changed. They are still doing exactly what God created them to do. The only thing that changed was my lack of wonder at God’s handiwork. What had become ordinary in my eyes was an extraordinary moment for my sister’s family.
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Several weeks ago, Pastor Mike’s sermon on Matthew 5:13–16 struck a chord with me. Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
WHAT WE ARE CREATED FOR
The fireflies faithfully do what God created them to do—they shine. They don’t try to light up the entire night sky. They shine just where they are. As followers of Christ, our calling is the same. We are not responsible for illuminating the entire world on our own. Jesus calls us to faithfully shine the light He has given us in the places where He has placed us. You are an extraordinary miracle of light meant to shine in a world of darkness.
SHINING TOGETHER
Fireflies remind us that one tiny light may seem insignificant, but a field full of them is breathtaking. God never intended for us to carry the burden of producing enough light on our own. When His people faithfully shine together—remembering His faithfulness and reflecting His love—the darkness begins to give way. Then others can catch a glimpse of Jesus—the One who lights the darkest places, the One who illuminates our secret hideouts, and the One who truly is the Light of the world. So, go and shine—not with your own strength, but with the light of Christ that never fades.
Click to read more about how to shine.