One Day to Live

In the dark of night, in the cold of a deep pool in a rushing stream, a mayfly is hatching. This mayfly does not look like a typical fly. It is called a nymph. And this nymph is hungry. It crawls about the stream floor on its crab-like legs, looking for decaying plant matter. And as it eats, it grows, and as it grows, its hard “skin”—its exoskeleton—gets tighter and tighter. In a few weeks, it’s time to molt. The nymph climbs on out of its exoskeleton, revealing a new, soft exoskeleton underneath. Before long, this exoskeleton becomes hard and protective like the old one. But the mayfly is still growing.

It takes a full year for the nymph to mature. It has molted many times, but this last time is different. When the mayfly climbs out of its exoskeleton, it is new. It floats to the surface . . . and flies off! The mayfly can rightly be called a fly!

But the mayfly is still shaky with its new wings. They need to dry out before the mayfly can use them well. So, it flies to a nearby spot to spend the night.

In the morning, the mayfly begins its only day as an adult. Because it has no mouth parts, it cannot live long.

In the evening the mayfly flies to a swarm over the water. All the mayflies in the swarm have one goal; to mate and lay their eggs before they die.

And in the dark of that night, in the cold of a deep pool in the rushing stream, more mayflies are hatching . . .

What would you do if you had until tomorrow night to live? John Wesley was asked the same question. He said, “I would just carry on with what I am doing.”

Could you, in good conscience, carry on what you are doing right now? Or would you start working in earnest for God? Live every day like it’s your last.

Artwork by Joshua Venturo; photo by Caleb Venturo

Information from: Comfort, Ray. The Evidence Bible: All You Need to Understand and Defend Your Faith. Newberry: Bridge-Logos, Inc., 2011.

 https://stroudcenter.org/news/the-magic-of-mayflies/

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