"The Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof." Psa. 50:1
There are over a hundred verities of the mayfly, most of which appear during May or June. With a body little more than half an inch long and three, thread-like tails, it makes a pretty sight flying about with its four wings.
But it doesn't start out that way. Sticky eggs, dropped in the water, attach themselves to plant stems or a rock. Soon "nymphs" hatch out, which have a dark outer jacket, or skin. This makes them hard to be seen by fish, dragonfly larvae, beetles or other enemies which like to eat them. The nymphs will crawl on the bottom of the lake or stream for about two years, eating food which is filtered from the water. At the end of two years, it changes from gill-breathing to air-breathing. Rising to the surface, its outer skin splits open, and it pulls itself out of it. With a short exposure to the air, its four wings strengthen. It then flies to a nearby object for a few hours of rest before becoming active.
After this change, its life is very short. As an adult mayfly it does not eat, because it does not have a mouth or a stomach. It spends its time finding a mate. When males and females come together, they engage in an interesting "dance," rising and falling gracefully through the air. Afterward, the female lays a number of eggs in the water and dies, as does the male.
Their adult life span lasts only a few hours. Because of this, the Latin name "ephermerida" has been given to them, meaning "living for only a day."
Frequently, great numbers of nymphs come together to the surface at the same time for their change into mayflies. As they rise in the air in large numbers, they cause great excitement among the fish, that leap for them, as well as birds, that swoop down, snatching them in mid-air. Even so, many do escape, so the egg-laying and eventual hatching of a new supply of nymphs goes on year after year.
Do you think God cares about these little creatures? He certainly does. They are part of His creation, all in balance with the rest of His creation. We may not always understand His purpose in the things about us, but like Isaiah we can say, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding." Isa. 40:2828Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. (Isaiah 40:28).
But He does want us, His special creation, to come to Him. We are invited to "Seek... the Lord while He may be found..." (Isa. 55:66Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)); to listen to His invitation-"Come now, and let us reason together... though your-sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)); and to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Our lives, like the mayfly's, may be shorter than we expect. How important it is to accept Him today!