The time for the annual spiritual conference had arrived. My husband and I were at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. From our room, we walked to the evening meeting spot at Brubaker Hall. The warm evening afforded a casual stroll along the lamp-post lit sidewalks. Low flying bugs frenziedly danced and fluttered in front of us. Not trying to avoid our approach, they performed passionately to some unseen audience. Since they were not trying to avoid me, I tried to avoid them. Further up I noticed that some bugs were lying still on the sidewalk. Much later than they did apparently, I realized that the ones swirling in front of me were dancing their final performance before the time ran out of their short-lived existence.

Each evening thereafter I made sure that I did not interfere with their show under the lamplights. Flap your wings!!!! Circle as many times as you want! Take in as much light as possible! Fulfill your final breath! Do it all unhindered … without me as your impediment!

Do you hear that same voice speaking to you? Whatever is your passion, let it consume the vitality of your last breath! Take not just a lesson from the transient bugs, but from the Master Himself! He performed a most amazing dramatic narrative in His final hours! He stopped dying long enough to save a criminal . . . to bless His mother . . . to forgive mankind, to cry to His Father! Then in the most beautiful final crescendo of all, He declared His dance finished! “It is finished!” (John 19:30)

I couldn’t stop his dance! His disciples didn’t! The Roman soldiers or the religious leaders would not! They, as a matter of fact, derisively cheered Him on! Not even the Father could stop him, for what He saw pleased Him! THERE was His Audience!

With all the passion of love and mercy, He made a graceful, passionate effort to show us how to do what was instinctual to the bugs under the sidewalk lamps … to finish this life as if the next life was dependent upon our finishing well.

And we do it all under His Light!

PRAYER: Abba, this is my dance! This is my performance before my audience of One! Thank you that under the glaring Light of Heaven I can passionately move, breathe and have my being in You! I mimic the Son! Amen!