The Dragonfly

My favorite place to meet with God is at breakfast, sitting at the kitchen table reading His Word and gazing out the window at His beautiful creation.  While I'm always blessed by His written Word, now and then, God gives me a message directly from the works of His Hands - nature.  When that happens, I feel doubly blessed.

Here's the lesson of the Dragonfly that He gave me this morning.  This little guy (being brown, he just looks kind of masculine) latched on to this bare twig sticking from a pot of flowers on my deck and stayed there for about five minutes.  I wondered, why is he just sitting there?  And, what is the life purpose of a dragonfly anyway?  I have no idea, but one thing I do know, God created the dragonfly for a specific purpose and I'm sure that dragonfly fulfills his purpose on a daily basis.

With that in mind, I realized several things:  first, I have no right to judge the dragonfly's inactivity (or what appears to me to be inactivity).  God's purpose for that dragonfly is special to that dragonfly and it is to God alone he answers.  I believe our little friend, D, was just taking a much-needed break.

Secondly, and more importantly since it offers a bigger message to we humans, everyone needs a bit of R & R from time to time (that's "rest & relaxation" - remember those words?).  Included in that R&R is the need for a quiet time to "Be still and know that I am God."

If we don't take occasional and regular times for stillness as little D took, we'll find ourselves becoming frazzled, dissatisfied and with the niggling feeling that something is just not right.  I know, I've been there and it's not a pretty sight.  This Dragonfly has a God-given instinct to stop and be still.  I believe we also have that instinct and need too, but it's been so pushed down by busy lifestyles that it manifests itself as dissatisfaction, etc.  We too often stifle the instinct to "Be still...." and say we're just too busy.

I wonder what would happen to little D if he ignored his instinct and kept flitting from place to place without stopping?  He might just spin totally out of control and drop to the ground.  Do you ever feel like that's what's happening to you?  God has made it very plain - by His very own Words - that we are to "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him" Psalm 37:7 NIV.

Even a few moments alone in stillness with God, worshipping Him and acknowledging Him, will refresh your path more than you can imagine.  Try it today -- even it means going into the bathroom, closing the door, and standing for several minutes in silence and stillness, eyes shut and praising God.  It will help you -- and please God as well.

We all need these times with God to recharge our spiritual and emotional batteries.  Remember the words of Psalm 23:1-3:  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul..."

These times of stillness with God -- even if brief -- are vital to our well-being.  Thanks for the lesson, little D.