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The Dragonfly

I don’t know what your state bird is, but in Minnesota, it could easily be the mosquito. No, it isn’t really the mosquito, but once they come out, they come out and this year with all the rain and extra piles of water. . .to say that we have a lot of mosquitoes feels like an understatement.

This insurgence of mosquitoes requires me to plan my morning and nightly walks with a little more care. If I time it just right, I can avoid the large swarm. Sometimes my timing is just off. One night, Mav and I were enjoying a lovely stroll and we were a little later than normal. It was so nice out and we were basking in the sunset. All of the sudden, as if it were a movie showing the end times, we were literally inundated with mosquitoes. Everywhere. My eyes, ears, face, arms, legs—literally everywhere. I was completely covered. Even Mav was struggling as he tried to snap at them and catch them in his mouth. That part was actually a little funny.

All of the sudden, again, as if out of nowhere, came my heroes. My rescuers. Enter the dragonflies.

Dragonfly

In a flash, it was as if we had a good vs. evil battle going on and the dragonflies were in the superhero capes. One by one they gobbled multiple mosquitoes at a time. It was fascinating to watch! I’ll admit, it almost looked like the Blue Angels in flight—perfect formation and ready to go at a moments notice. By the time the dragonflies were done, my path was clear. There was a mosquito here and there, but nothing like before. I took a moment to pause and thank the dragonflies. I thanked God for His creation of dragonflies. How amazing is it that this simple and yet complex creation could do so much? On a bigger scale, think of how much each one of us can do.

Mav and I made it home and I excitedly told my husband about this adventure. He, too, had never experienced anything this dramatic. Yes, dragonflies here and there, but not like this profound battle worthy of a few minutes onscreen.

About a week later, I was walking the same path. This time, I noticed something that made me shed tears. Multiple dead dragonflies covered the road. Many of them had been hit by cars. Maybe others had met a different demise but one thing was for sure: many of my heroes had died. I was sad. The rest of the journey home, I pondered the dragonfly. This beautiful creation with such intense purpose and impact had really gotten to my brain, heart and soul. Maybe this is how we all are. We are created for an intentional purpose. When we’ve completed that purpose, our life as we knew it ends. Maybe our human existence is longer than the dragonfly and yet, we make it matter and count.

I’m curious about your experience with dragonflies. I’m curious about your perspectives around intentional purpose. I’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, I’ve been checking out dragonfly tattoos. Stay tuned.

Blessings, Peace and JOY—

-Deb

Blessings, Peace and JOY – 

-Deb