In my cousin’s sloping yard with the big weeping willow tree, we would swing on the hammock and enjoy summer nights. But as dusk cloaked the daylight in shadowy darkness, we kids grabbed our jars with holes poked in the lids. Dancing and spinning to the cicadas’ music, we’d catch fireflies.
Watching those flying lights up close was like having our own miniature fireworks show. But within a few moments their lights grew dimmer and went out. The fireflies were alive, but trapped. No longer did they feel free to illuminate the space they occupied.
So, we unscrewed the lid and let them out. Guess what? They lit up when they were released.
Some of our lights have become dim as we have become trapped in new definitions of freedom. Let’s return first to God’s word in 2 Corinthians 3:17 that says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Also, 1 Peter 2: 16 reminds us not to use our freedom as a cover-up for evil; but to “live as servants of God.”
Our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence dependent on Divine Providence. Can we do any less?
Freedom rightly lived is a powerful thing. Let’s not be like unlit fireflies breathing ever so slightly of the air we once knew. Rather, be released and light your world.