It's Only A Bug

Never being a huge fan of insects, or other creepy crawly things, I was a bit unnerved to open my eyes and find one of the biggest and ugliest bugs of my life sunning itself on my napping rock in the boundary waters. I tried to play it 'cool' and not jump up or scream, “It is only a bug,” I told myself, “and I am not a skittish-girl,” but it was so very big and the 'heebie-jeebies' got the better of me as I clumsily and quickly scooted away.

My dad, who had been fishing near by, looked over and said, “Those water bugs are kind of cool, aren't they?” My mind immediately wondered how long my dad - a child's night-in-shining-white-armor against all monsters and other things that go bump-in-the night – had known that monstrous bug was sleeping with me and why on earth hadn't he done anything about it! “Water bug?” I thought, humph, “Then what was it doing on my rock, clearly well out of any 'water'?”

Well, come to find out it, was just about to morph into one of the most amazing, and my personal favorite insect – let's see if you can guess who I'm talking about...

This insect flaps its wings 10 times slower than a bee but has been clocked at speeds as fast as 45 mph.

This insect's great-great...great grandparents (300 million years ago) had a wingspan of 2 ½ feet.

From the time this insect hatches, it can live up to six years (unfortunately all but a few months of this time are spent in the really ugly bug stage).

As a nymph (the water bug stage of its life) it can eat more food in 30 minutes than the equivalent of what we could eat in a week.

In this insects nymph-stage, it catches its prey via a 'hyper-thrust' mechanism - they eject water from their 'bum' acting like a jet propulsion system.

So, what insect was my ugly li'l friend about to become? If you guessed a dragonfly – you are correct! After learning a bit more about  who it was that was sitting next to me, I have to admit I appreciated it a little more and it made me think,...the dragonfly’s  not-so-attractive-side is not that different from the world’s not-so attractive-side.

So often we wonder if the world isn't just getting uglier and uglier: tornadoes that scientists can't explain, earthquakes and tsunamis like we've never seen before; war and violence that seemingly escalates with every newscast; cancer destroying lives like an epidemic; home foreclosures on every block; and an overwhelming sense of helplessness – is there anyone we can depend on; anyone here with truth, honor or integrity? If you guessed “Jesus”,” you are correct!

As ugly as the world, our lives and even ourselves can get, Jesus isn’t ‘skittish’,’ he doesn’t scurry or scoot away. Jesus actually joins us even in our not-so-attractive-side and is the power that transforms the world and our lives into the beautiful-dragonfly-side.  No matter what the world  or our brokenness may bring - no matter how ugly, uncertain, scary or overwhelming things may get - Jesus is with us.

Psalm 46 - God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake.. Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains...God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. (1-5)