The Mosquito Killer

          On one of the many summer mornings I walked to check the cattle, I spotted out of the corner of my eye, a beautiful blue hue. As I looked closer, without moving a muscle, I recognized a dragonfly. Slowly, I pulled my tiny camera from my pocket, adjusted the zoom on it, and snapped a quick shot. I inched closer to the arthropod, astounded I could get off a second photograph of the lovely-to-observe winged wonder. It remained motionless, as did I, for what seemed the longest time. Soon the delicate-looking creature took to wing.

I achieved research success when I glimpsed a photo similar to the ones I had snapped earlier in the day. There was the arthropod with the gauzy wings with dark markings on each wing. They were attached to a beautiful light blue abdomen. The thorax was dark with a radiant marking of brilliant blue just below the head. I had snapped a relatively bold male widow skimmer. The unusual name for this dragonfly – whether male or female - stemmed from the dark coloring on each wing around its abdomen and thorax resembling the black drape worn by widows of days gone by as a sign of grief upon the death of a husband.

The Widow Skimmer in the pasture

 I queried in my mind why God created each creature. Research revealed the widow skimmer nourishes itself on flies, gnats and mosquitoes. Aren’t we glad for that this summer?

Then I found the dragon fly was purported to have provided inspiration for the invention of the helicopter. God enabled the widow skimmer and other dragon flies to slope its body and “bank” in its flying maneuvers. The Chinese created a flying toy called the “bamboo dragonfly” over 2400 years ago. Europeans upon seeing the agile toy ruminated on it and various flying contraptions were made.

Just as the Widow Skimmer kills the pesky, dangerous mosquitoes, so the Apostle Paul commanded us to kill the evil desires within us. The godly writer of much of the New Testament, admonishes the believers in Colosse to “set their minds on things above” which prompted the need for his reminder of the need to kill those desires of the old nature. I have underscored the “deifying of self” since it is easy to idolize my wants and desires over His. Here is Paul’s directive from Colossians 3:5 - 

So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry ( the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). (The Classic Edition of the Amplified Bible)

                The flying gossamer-winged insects categorized as “dragonflies” have lent their name to helicopters and toys because of their unique maneuverability of their wings in flight. The inspiration of arthropods like the widow skimmer have impacted our world remarkably. Do we inspire and encourage others to greatness? The writer of Hebrews told us not to let sin deceive us or others into stubbornness. Instead we should inspire obedience. 

This is the time to encourage each other to never be stubborn or hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 3:13 (The Passion Translation)

                Sightings of the dragonfly, God’s beautiful creature in flight, remind us of their power to affect positively our world as they devour biting pests that harm humans and as a directive in our spiritual lives to put to death our unhealthy desires. As we gaze at their filmy, transparent wings, let their wonder inspire us to encourage ourselves and others to resist a stubborn, hard-headed attitude when pursuing sin. Instead let's encourage obedience that leads to His calming place of rest (Hebrews 3:18).

What a Vision of Colorful Loveliness from our Creator!