WAN POT MAGAZINE

WANPOT - Cover Story1

4 WANPOT - Cover Story

EXECUTIVE EDITOR INTRODUCTION

The Light of theFirefly

In the summer, the days grow longer, and the evenings arelovely. As dusk comes and the first stars begin to glow in thenight sky, small flashes of light appear.

They flicker and dance, and create a beautiful, peaceful little light show. Those little lights are the soft glow of fireflies. Recently I was outside watching these dancing lights, and I found myself fascinated by them. Curious, I began to do some research on fireflies. I was inspired by what I read. I couldn't help but see the similarities between these tiny creatures of God and those who read this magazine.

Fireflies teach us that even in darkness, there is light. You may feel surrounded by the gloom of night, struggling with your journey. You feel all alone. But then you spy a tiny glow, a continually changing pattern. Wait a while, and your patience will be rewarded. When you see one glow, there will be another. Watch carefully, another spot of light will appear, and then another. Friends are near.

Did you know that almost every

continent around the world has fireflies? Fireflies live in forests, fields, on mountains, and in marshes. They live near lakes, rivers, and ponds. Where there is water, lightning bugs will be found. All of the places I have been, from America to China, from the United Kingdom to France, fireflies are there. And even though every place is different, some things are the same everywhere we go. Fireflies, like the warmth of a kind soul, are all around us.

These little creatures are beetles. They have hardened wing cases over the top of their wings. The cases lift, moving out of the way for the wings when the lightning bug is ready to fly. How many of us keep our wings tucked away under a hardened shell? And yet, when we open that shell, we too can fly.

There are over 2,000 different species of fireflies. You might think all the glowing beetles in your backyard are the same, but there are likely many different species. Isn't that like people? It's easy to assume that those who live together are similar. But in fact, we are all unique.

Sadly, outdoor lights can be hard for fireflies. The bright manmade lights outshine the tiny flashes and make it hard for them to see each other. If you can, turn off your outdoor lights during the firefly season. That will help them give you a beautiful light display for years to come.

Like the firefly, people can also

be over shown by lights that seem too bright. There is so much going on in the world. It can be hard to see the tiny glow that is happening right beside you. This magazine is here to help you see that glow, to read one another's stories, and learn from each other's journey.

Fireflies don't live long, but that is part of God's plan. It reminds us that nothing lasts forever. They spend most of their time as larva and are adults for a short period. People too can take years to mature and grow. Your life journey may take you through many hard and stressful situations before you are ready to reach your true form.

The flash of the firefly is their way of talking. Those flickers you see are the lighting bugs communicating. It helps males and females recognize each other. And each species has its own distinctive, unique pattern of flashes. Here is something beautiful: in the Smokey Mountains, there are synchronous fireflies. These fireflies coordinate their flashes together in one dynamic light show. They congregate together in trees, and one or two will start to flash. Then a few more. Some species of fireflies will begin to flash all at once. Others will synchronize over a few seconds, creating a wave of light.

I see readers of this magazine as fireflies. We are points of light scattered around the world, each with our unique pattern. But we recognize each other by our glow. As we come together, our patterns will synchronize and flash together. We care to share in this beauty together, flashing our messages of love across the night sky.