CONSIDER THE MAYFLY
Its name is a misnomer. The diminutive insect is active
more often than just the month of May. My husband and I spotted a plethora of those
dainty mayflies flitting about while we were walking on an Indian summer day.
“Look quickly – they only live a day,” said my biologist husband.
“Sometimes two days, at most.”
Mayflies, in the order Ephemeroptera, have one job as an adult: to mate and produce eggs
to start the cycle all over again. The female lays the eggs on top of the water.
As the eggs fall to the bottom of the water, the female quickly becomes fish
food for surface lurkers.
The eggs hatch anywhere from a few days to a few weeks
later, and the resulting nymph forages on the bottom of the body of water, snacking
on detritus and other plant material, for a year or two.
When it’s ready to emerge, the nymph finds its way to
the surface, where it basically sheds its outer covering and newly-exposed
wings start to dry.
Once the male and female mayflies take flight, mating
occurs, the cycle begins anew, and fish slurp the adult mayfly delicacies
effortlessly from the water’s surface.
I’m not sure why God decided the more than 600 species
of mayfly in the United States and 3,000 worldwide should live for only one or
two days, but He purposed them to do a job during that time, and they do it
well!
The adult mayfly’s ephemeral moments on earth remind me
to use my time wisely.
Obviously, none of us knows how long God plans for us
to reside on this earth, but I believe He has certain jobs for us to do and he
wants us to do those jobs well. James 4:14 (NIV) points out, “Why, you do not
even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that
appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
Those dainty mayfly messengers from God seem to direct
me also to Psalm 90:12 (ESV), “So teach us to number our days that we may get a
heart of wisdom.”
I want to accomplish God’s purposes for me with
excellence, making the most of the days God gifts me, however fleeting and ephemeral
that time is in the cycle of my life.
God,
help me to do my jobs well, to make my life count for you. I know you have good
plans for me – great plans, and I pray
that my ephemeral moments on earth bring you glory and praise. Amen.
What about you? What helps you make the most of your time to accomplish God's plans? Have you seen any interesting God critters lately?
Indeed Ms. Julie. A "vapor" (James 4:14) cannot be accurately measured, as there are so many dependencies (size, formulation, atmospheric conditions, etc.) Each is determined by our Creator, just as the number of days for each life is predetermined. My take-away? Since we don't know, plan for it to be today. In that way, you awake in morning, joyful for one more day to serve and grow in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great take-away, J.D.! And that plan encourages us to make the most of that day, celebrate the joy of another day, and then making the most of that one! Love it, J.D.! Thanks for commenting!! Blessings!
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