pine forest at sunset (Photo credit: uBookworm)
I placed my Diet Coke on a nearby table and settled into one of the front porch rockers. The book I had brought with me remained closed on my lap. Instead of reading, I gazed at tall pines, listened to birds chirping good-night to each other, and breathed in cool mountain air.
What a stark contrast to home, I thought. My husband, two sons, and I had escaped the oppressive summer heat of our Florida home, and were vacationing in a North Carolina rental cabin.
Not long after settling, I noticed an enormous Luna moth perched on the porch railing. He appeared to be sleeping soundly. His shapely sea foam wings stretched out primly, in a perfect display of shimmering symmetry. Not even an antenna moved.
Luna moth (Actias luna) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the sweet idleness of that moment, I had time to wonder.
When do you suppose moths wake up? Is it at dusk, or does it have to be completely dark? And what will be the first part to move? Will his wings flutter a bit in warm-up? Or will those long antennae flicker, checking his surroundings before he ventures into the night?
My knowledge of Luna moths was sorely lacking.
I made strong attempts to read my book, but kept distracting myself for updates on that moth–especially as the sun dipped lower in the sky and shadows deepened.
Eric, our older son, came out on the porch. He stood with hands in pockets, watching the sunset. “What’s up, Mom?”
“This is going to sound silly,” I began, “but see that moth over there? I’ve gotten curious about when they wake up. Is it at dusk or only when it’s completely dark? And as if that isn’t enough, I’m wondering what part of him will wake up first. Do you suppose it will be his antennae that move first, or maybe his wings?”
Eric chuckled slightly—not sarcastically, but in good humor that once again his mother’s curiosity was taking an interesting turn. I thought he’d turn and go back inside the cabin. To my delightful surprise, he chose to sit in the rocker next to me.
(Photo credit: vastateparksstaff)
Together we kept vigil over that moth as the sunlight diminished to an apricot glow on the horizon, and the landscape turned dark gray. Still that moth did not move. And soon we were all enveloped by the night.
Suddenly, with barely a testing of his wings, the majestic moth was off the railing and fluttering away. Eric and I barely had time to say, “Oh! There he goes!” before the moth disappeared into the darkness.
We sat quietly for a few moments longer, listening to the crickets chirping cheerfully. With a contented sigh I reveled in the moment: the cool, peaceful surroundings and my satisfied curiosity. Most of all I savored that Eric had chosen to share with me this rather inconsequential moment.
(Photo credit: `James Wheeler)
Just a few years earlier, if I had asked Eric to sit with me and watch a moth, he would have said, “BOR-ING!” and loped off to other pursuits. But that year he was twenty-four. We were starting to relate to one another differently, share more common interests, and communicate on a similar level. Eric was still my son, but he was also becoming a friend.
Reminds me a bit of what our Heavenly Father offers. As we mature in him, our relationship grows into a loving, familial friendship, characterized by common interests and heart-to-heart communication. But such a relationship develops only as we spend time with him and his word.
Those who say, “Time with God is BOR-ING!” and lope off to other pursuits are missing out.
On what, you ask?
• The joy of His presence (Psalm 16:11)
• The goodness he bestows (Psalm 31:19)
• His strength (Psalm 138:2-3)
• Rest, in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1)
• Perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3)
Such precious gifts, Father: joy, goodness, strength, rest, and peace. I praise you with all my heart for being a God who pursues a warm, loving relationship with his children. May I seek your face in return. Always.
From the Inside Out 
I enjoy each of your writings, Nancy, but this one touched my heart in a special way. I too treasure the way my relationships with my adult children are evolving. I pray that my Heavenly Father is also pleased with me as I continue to “grow up”.
Love you…
G
Thank you, Ginny–I’m honored you’re following the blog. Isn’t it delightful how our children turn into friends? And I love your prayer. Amen to that, Sister! I understand congratulations are in order, that you’ll be joining our rank of grandmothers. Woo-hoo!
Beautiful, UN boring post,Nancy. The parallels are perfect. Wow.
Thank you, Jody. Your kind comments give a great uplift to my spirit!
It seems your blog relates to me and what is happening in my life. I called my granddaughter, she is 29 years old, and asked her if she wanted to have lunch on Sunday after church. She said ” yes, she also said it is difficult to block out some time for us to be together and Grandma Laura, I want to be with you”.
She has become my friend , like your children have become with you. Our relationship has grown beyond words. It is precious moments when we can spend time with our loved ones. Also, the time we spend with God, knowing He is our friend forever, just like our family. Thanks again Nancy for your blog. You are an inspiration.
As Sophie and Elena have been added to the family, I have wondered if grandchildren can become friends, or if the age difference is so great, that it doesn’t work. Your story proves that it is possible. You’ve given me something else to look forward to! Thank you for being such a loyal, supportive follower, Laura.
I enjoyed your insight. Rich! So true!
Thank you, Nikki, for taking the time to respond. I so appreciate your comments. It’s highly gratifying to know that God uses my words to touch people’s hearts!
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!!!! Thank you for the peaceful mind picture and thoughts.
Thank you, Grace. You must have R-E-A-L-L-Y liked it! I’m so glad the words spoke peace to you.
Think of the future when we will be sitting next to Jesus just watching and enjoying watching Luna moths. I picture something like on the veranda at Cracker Barrel, just rocking the time away. mjo
Oh, that does sound delightful. Imagine sitting there with Moses, Daniel, Paul, etc., listening to their stories!
Wonderful post, Nancy! Having no children of my own I am fortunate and blessed to have my four great-nieces in my life and all in close physical proximity. Their ages are 18, 16, 12, and 8. Just out of the blue the two older ones will call Mom and me (I live next door to Mom) and ask if it is OK for them to stop by for awhile. They each have a car and, of course, love the freedom of being spontaneous. They could be doing anything else but visiting with an 83 and 63-year-old, but they choose to spend some of their precious free time with us! As they grow older the maturity level and subjects discussed are more on an equal par. We cover family history and share with them experiences Mom and I had as we grew up; also, most importantly, we discuss the Lord. What a blessing to see our relationships blossom into friendships! Dacota even brings along her boyfriend sometimes. We love it! Family storms and drama could have destroyed this precious link four years ago, but it has only grown stronger. For this, I thank the Lord! And most of all, I thank the Lord for His friendship and I your post has reminded me that I must do more from my direction, give more of my time to Him. Even so, the Lord will never ‘unfriend’ or ‘hide’ me…the way that some tenuous Facebook ‘friends’ have chosen to do. Praise the Lord!
Thank you, Cheri, for your beautiful, insightful comments. It gives me great hope and anticipation for the years to come as our granddaughters grow up. I’m already looking forward to our relationships growing into close friendships.