“In Him there is no darkness.” ~ 1 John 1:5
Every evening that July, nine-year-old
Ellie raced barefoot into her grandmother's backyard with a mason jar in hand. “C’mon
Gramma!” she'd shout. "They're coming!"
As dusk settled over the fields, tiny golden
lights began blinking among the tall grass. They drifted through the air as if
carried by unseen currents, electrifying the summer night. With so much
darkness in the world, the fireflies were a welcome reminder that even the
smallest lights can push back the night.
Her grandmother laughed from the porch as Ellie darted from
one glowing bug to another before joining the chase. When the jar was full,
Gramma would gently smile and say, "They're beautiful, aren't they?
But sweetheart, God's little lanterns are meant to light the night, not live
in a jar."
On an early August evening, Gramma didn't join her in the
yard. She sat quietly on the porch swing, wrapped in a blanket despite the
heat. Her smile was the same, but her strength wasn't.
"Can we catch fireflies tomorrow?" Ellie
asked.
Gramma squeezed her small hand. "If tomorrow comes, we'll
catch them then. But tonight is the gift we've been given." So
they watched instead of chased.
Fireflies blinked across the yard like tiny stars falling to
earth. Gramma whispered: "The brightest lights don't last forever,
That's why they're so precious."
A few weeks later, Grandma was gone. The backyard suddenly
felt vast and empty. Ellie couldn’t bear to chase fireflies again that summer –
Gramma’s absence hurt too much.
Autumn arrived, and while helping her mom sort through
Gramma's belongings, Ellie found a journal tucked inside a dresser drawer. One
entry stopped her cold:
"The doctor says I likely
won't see another summer. I won't tell Ellie. I don't want her counting the
days I have left. I want her filling them with laughter, glowing jars, and
God’s presence. Someday she’ll realize that life isn't measured by how many
summers we're given, but by how deeply we love the people God places in
them."
Tears blurred the ink. That
evening, Ellie carried the old mason jar back into the yard. A firefly blinked.
Then another. Soon the field shimmered with light. For the first time
since Gramma's passing, Ellie smiled.
She didn't catch a single one. Instead, she watched them dance
free, just as her grandmother had always said they should. Looking skyward,
Ellie whispered, "Thank You, Good... for the light Gramma left me
with."
Some lights only shine for a season. But the love they spark
can brighten a lifetime.
Father God, thank You for the precious
people You place in our lives and the moments that become eternal memories.
Help us cherish each day and teach us to shine Your light while we can,
trusting that love shared in this life echoes forever. Amen
