By Ashlie Miller

If you are lucky enough, in recent evenings, you may have seen a little yellowish glow flickering, perhaps with an orange or even greenish tint. If you are exceptionally fortunate and an adventure-seeker, you may have hunted down the blue ghost lightning bug that secretly colonizes in parts of North Carolina. And yes, I realize I am calling them lightning bugs. As a true Southerner, I actually want to say lightnin’ bugs. If you are not from my neck of the woods, maybe you call them fireflies.

As a mom of 5 and still a child at heart, lightning bugs are the first little heralds of summer to me. Naturally, because they fill me with wonder and intrigue, they were the topic of my last lesson for the nature appreciation class I taught in our homeschool co-op this year.

Did you know that lightning bugs not only glow in the adult stage but also glow as eggs, larvae and pupa? What a wonder! A combination of a chemical called luciferin, an enzyme called luciferase, and the molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate) produce a pulse of cold light that gently illuminates woods and backyards through the tail-ends of these critters.

If you study the Bible or know a little Latin, you may recognize the root “Lucifer” and recall that Satan was deemed the Angel of Light. As Christians, the light that should be emanating from us is The Light of the world — Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls His followers to also be the light of the world, which is only possible if He is shining from within you. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). That is our command and our goal.

As a child, a teen and even a young adult, I often wondered when this would happen through me. What job or calling would God give me to shine in darkened places? But, like our firefly friends, we can shine at any age in life as long as the Light of the world is within us. This is not limited to ages or even stages of life.

When I am like a child and do not know all the answers, I can still shine.

When I am eager, passionate, and still making mistakes as I learn, I can glow as I pick myself up and keep trekking on and pressing toward maturity.

When I am in a quiet season, and things seem paused while I am in a holding pattern, I can still twinkle with God’s goodness.

One day, I will be fully mature when I see my Savior face to face. What a day that will be! I will beam with radiance!

Given your life experience and growth in the Lord, you may already shine brightly; others see it and are blessed by it. Still, others around you need your influence and your light to encourage them on their journey. Imagine the impact you could have on a person at a different age or stage of life…just help them see the light of Jesus and their potential to shine.

Ashlie Miller chases lightning bugs in the back yard with her family of 7 in Concord.