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When we think of teaching children, we often think of a
formal, or classroom setting. In the Bible we find
another approach. It speaks of us teaching our children
diligently, as we sit in our house, when we walk by the
way, when we lay down, when we rise up. (Deuteronomy
6:7) How can we do this? One way is to look at nature.
We can find many lessons hidden in the things God
created. Everything that is created reflects the awesome
mind of God. An example of this approach is illustrated
in Proverbs 6:6 "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider
her ways." Then it goes on to teach some attributes that
are common both to God and to the ants: self
sufficiency, diligence, planning, etc. In this issue I
use the example of a lightning bug.
To the Parents:
This lesson will teach our children to pray and to
let their light shine. We can teach them to form a
special friendship with God. We can help them learn to
tell God every-thing and ask His help with all things.
When a child's prayers are answered, point out to them
that God answered their prayer, be open and tell them
where God has intervened in your life. Teach your child
to go to God for solutions. Then you, as the parent, sit
back. Let God answer the prayer. It is tempting to try
to help God answer the prayer, or to even answer it
ourselves. Maybe, like the mom in the story, you will be
the one who learns the most.
A Lesson from Lightning Bugs The Bible says that we, who
believe God, are the light of the earth. It says that if
we hide our good works, it is like hiding our light
under a basket. (Matthew 5:14-16). God created a bug
that shows us this very thing. It is the Firefly.
There are many species of fireflies. The ones in the
southern United States are commonly called Lightning
Bugs. They are slow flying, soft shell beetles. Children
who live in the south have caught lightning bugs for
generations. The best thing about lightning bugs is that
they light up! The back, under most part of their body,
is like a light bulb! Lightning bugs wake up every
evening in the grassy lawns of the south and begin to
blink their lights. Then they begin their nightly
courtship flight up, up, up to tree limbs and high
places. The reason they fly up from the grassy places on
the ground, is to be easily seen. The males and females
want to attract each other and to do so they must get
high on a tree limb. Once they find a lofty perch the
bugs continue to blink their soft yellow lights most of
the night. Each species of lightning bug has its own
blinking pattern. Some species blink in unison. By
working together in a group, they can be seen much
better. When choosing her mate, the female looks up high
in the trees to see the pattern of twinkling that
attracts her. Then she chooses the bug of her dreams
What if lightning bugs tried to hide their lights? It
seems silly to even think of a lightning bug hiding its
light! God did not give them beautiful lights and then
make them like earthworms. If they burrowed through
underground tunnels, and lit up their light
under-ground, no one would see. God gave lightning bugs
lights and wings so they can fly and shine their lights
where every-one can see them. By shining their lights,
they do the work that God created them to do.
What work did God give us to do? We were made to worship
God. When we believe Him, we are doing His work and
letting our light shine just like a lightning bug. (John
6:29) God's word teaches us to ask, seek, and knock
(Matthew 7:7-8) When we do these things, we are doing
what God created us for and God's light can shine
through us. When we work together, doing God's will with
a brother, sister or friend, we are letting our light
shine in unison, and like the lightning bugs, the works
can be more easily seen.
Bug Lights!!
Catching lightning bugs is easy. They take off with
a quick, upward surge. Then suddenly they blink and
their flight path lapses into a downward swoop. They are
easily seen when they light up for a brief second. It is
during the swoop-down after the light blinks that they
are easy to catch. Once they are caught they can be put
into a see-through, unbreakable jar that has a lid with
air holes it. Many, many lightning bugs can be easily
caught in an evening, but that is not the end of the
fun. There is more fun in store! The jar can be taken
inside to use as a bug-powered night light. The
lightning bugs blink off and on all night until they get
sleepy in the wee hours of the morning. Then the next
day, they can be released with no harm done to them. Who
knows, they may be the very same bugs that are caught
again the next night!
Ricky's Story
Ricky was so happy! It was early summer and he
wanted to catch lightning bugs that night. That is, if
they were out. It had been almost a year since he had
run through the grass in the backyard catching
fireflies. So far this summer, the lightning bugs had
not come out. Every evening Ricky had gone outside to
see if the lightning bugs were out. Every evening so
far, he had not seen any lightning bugs. He eagerly
anticipated his first big catch of the year. Tonight
might be different. He had prayed and asked God for
lightning bugs. He was ready. He had a clear plastic jar
and his dad had punched tiny air holes in the lid.
Maybe, they would be out that night. All he had to do
was wait ....and wait. Would he see them that night? He
hoped so, but he had already been waiting a long time..
Then it happened! There, in the corner of his eye he
saw... was it... a lightning bug?... YES!!!! He was sure
of it!!!! His prayer was answered. He ran inside to get
his mom. She liked to catch lightning bugs too. She had
told him stories of how she used to catch them and put
them into glass milk bottles when she was a little girl.
Together they went outside. In anticipation they walked
to the backyard. Their eyes were scanning the air for a
flash of brief light. They looked and looked...... but
there were no lightning bugs anywhere. They searched for
a long time. The mosquitoes began to bite, and Ricky's
mom started to think about going in. It was time to get
dinner started.
"Let's go in now. There will be plenty of other nights
to catch lightning bugs." She said as she turned to go
inside. Ricky was not ready to give up. "I know, let's
pray and ask God to send some lightning bugs!" he said.
Ricky's mom felt sad inside. She was afraid that Ricky
was asking for something that God would not do. It did
not seem fair for Ricky to learn about prayer like this.
There was no way she could help make a prayer like that
come true. So she said, "No, God has real important
things to take care of. Let's just go inside. Maybe
tomorrow there will be lightning bugs." Then Ricky
insisted, "You told me God answers prayers, and that
nothing is too hard, or too big for Him, and I really
want some lightning bugs. Ple-e-ease!!"
Mom did not know that he had already prayed for
lightning bugs once. She did not think that they would
see any lightning bugs that night, and she did not want
him to be disappointed. She was afraid that Ricky might
think that God did not hear his prayer, but because it
was so important to him she agreed to pray with him.
"He needs to learn that we don't always get our own way
when we pray", she thought. So, right there, under a
tree in the back yard they held hands and bowed their
heads and prayed. Ricky prayed for lightning bugs, right
out loud, while Mama prayed silently that God would turn
this into a learning experience.
When they lifted their heads and looked . . . there were
no lightning bugs.
Mom was not surprised. She knew there would be no
lightning bugs. Sadly, she watched Ricky. He kept
looking. Mom was thinking of how she would teach him
that sometimes God says no.
Then it happened!! "LOOK," he exclaimed! Sure enough,
just around a tree where Ricky had gone to look, there
were lightning bugs! Not just a few, suddenly the
lightning bugs were everywhere! Ricky and his mom barely
had to run to catch them! It was so much fun putting all
those bugs in a jar. That night they caught as many as
they had ever caught before.
When Ricky went to bed that night he had a fine bug
light that flashed and blinked until the wee hours of
the morning. Before he got tucked in, his mom joined him
in his nightly prayers. They were both thankful. Ricky
had gotten a lot of lightning bugs, and Mom was
surprised, and thankful that the learning experience was
not only for Ricky; it was she who learned the most. She
learned that she did not have to help God answer Ricky's
prayers, and she learned it because Ricky had let his
light shine.
When he had prayed for lightning bugs; that was asking.
When he kept searching for them; that was seeking. When
he was not afraid to ask God again for them, that was
knocking. Ricky had let his light shine to his mom, just
like the lightning bugs shined to each other. She
thanked God for what He had taught her about prayer
through Ricky's faith. She asked that God's light would
shine through them both, and that His light would be
seen by other people, just like we can see the flashing
of the lightning bugs. Then Ricky fell asleep watching
the lightning bugs light up his room.
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