I recently read Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin. (My apologies to my eighth grade English teacher - I can't for the life of me figure out how to underline while in blogspot here.) I enjoyed this book so very much. Here is an excerpt:
A few minutes later, Unc walked up next to me and hung his arms across the fence railing. In his hand he held an empty mason jar with holes punched in the lid. He stood there a long time turning the jar. Inside, a single lightning bug fluttered off the sides of the glass. Every five or six seconds, he’d light his lantern. Unc turned the jar in his hand. “Scientists say these things evolved this way over millions of years.” He shook his head. “That’s a bunch of bunk. I don’t think an animal can just all-of-a-sudden decide it wants to make light grow out its butt. What kind of nonsense is that? Animals don’t make light.” He pointed to the stars. “God does that. I don’t know why or how, but I’m pretty sure it’s not chance. It’s not some haphazard thing he does in his spare time.”
He looked at me, and his expression changed from one of wonder to seriousness, to absolute conviction. “Chase, I don’t believe in chance.” He held up the jar. “This is not chance, neither are the stars.”
I was hurting inside, and the streaks shining on my face didn’t scratch the surface at telling how much.
He tapped me gently on the chest. “And neither are you. So, if your mind is telling you that God slipped up and might have made one giant mistake when it comes to you, remember the firefly’s butt.”
The laughter walked up behind me, wrapped around my tummy, and tickled my ribs, finally bubbling out of my mouth - taking the hurt parts with it. That’s something Unc was good at. He gave me his laughter and took my pain.
