When a holiday falls on a Friday or a Monday, I listen to folks bragging about their long weekend. They will ask, “What are you doing on your long weekend?” I usually answer dolefully that I don’t have a long weekend, because I work on Sunday.

I know you might be thinking that you want a gig where you only work for one hour on Sunday morning.

My Sunday morning begins at 4:30 a.m.

I head down to my study to see if the sermon is ready to be removed from the sermon incubator. Some sermons are low and slow. They are the result of weeks of work, prayer, and reflection. Other sermons are fried. They are cooked up at the last minute and deep fried with prayerful panic preparation. I don’t like those. I have noticed that God seems to have other ideas some weeks. Sunday morning is the final preparation before the presentation.

Last Sunday morning, nothing was working. Low and slow had evolved into deep fried, which evolved into panic because Sunday is here.

I was frustrated with what was planned. I cooked up a cup of coffee and went to the front porch swing to think and stew. I was working that sermon over in my mind. It just wasn’t “arriving.”

Gibsland is a peaceful place at 5:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. There are no cars. When the early morning train comes through the distant train whistle is comforting. I was swinging and listening.

The front porch is fern paradise. I have several ferns on the porch. They enjoy the sun and the shade. I noticed something reflecting at the base of one of the ferns. I would see it and then I didn’t.

I focused on the reflection, which turned out to be a firefly. I didn’t know they were up so early. Fireflies are one of those childhood memories that bring me joy. When I was a kid, they were abundant. Yes, I did the jar with the holes in the lid and caught them.

We would also turn them loose.

That Saturday night I had been thinking about fireflies and the occasional visit they make to Gibsland. I think this firefly had been reading my mind.

It was one firefly. The little bug was doing his thing and when I moved the fronds back, I would see the light shining brightly. A thousand joyous memories came flooding back.

God reminded me through His creation that He was present. It was a gift that I needed early on a Sunday morning. I got the message, sometimes God shows up in sermons that preachers don’t like! I have continued to thank Him for that little bright Sunday morning firefly.

God is present in many ways; our challenge is to slow down so we can see and hear what he has for us.

How has God shown up in your world recently?