WATERBUG by Elaine Tutterrow |
This page is dedicated to the memory of Kristi Rosage Bishop 1967 - 1998 |
Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in its friends' activities. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it would gradually move out of sight and be seen no more. "Look!" said one of the water bugs to another, "one of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think he is going?" Up, up, up it slowly went.... Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return. "That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't he happy here?" asked a second. "Where do you suppose he went?" wondered a third. No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered his friends together. "I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why." "We promise," they said solemnly. One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above. When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings.The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly. Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before. Then the dragonfly remembered the promise: "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water. "I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went." And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air. |
"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." " For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling." "Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Corinthians 5:1,4,5. |
This story became very special to me and my family. Dragonflies have become collectables in the Rosage family and bring us comfort and joy each time we see one. Does that mean we think our Kristi has become a dragonfly.... OF COURSE NOT! It simply means that God works in mysterious ways... His Holy Spirit can bring comfort to a hurting soul... even through a flying insect. Below is a personalized version of the same story which helped the young ones understand this thing called death. |
WATERBUG By Elaine Tutterrow (Personalized by Bernie Rosage) Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little family of water bugs. They were a happy family, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their family seemed to lose interest in its friends' activities. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it would gradually move out of sight and be seen no more. "Look!" said Tory-bug to Emily-bug, "one of our family, Joyce-bug is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?" Up, up, up she slowly went.... Even as they watched, Joyce-bug disappeared from sight. Her friends waited and waited but she didn't return. "That's funny!" said Lyndsey-bug to Whitney-bug. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked Dylan-bug. "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered Fonda-bug. No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally Kristi-bug, a loved one in the family, gathered her friends together. "I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why." "We promise," they said solemnly. One spring day, not long after, Kristi-bug, who had suggested the plan, found herself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, she went. Before she knew what was happening, she had broken through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above. When she awoke, she looked about with surprise. She couldn't believe what she saw. A startling change had come to her old body. Her movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as she struggled, she felt an impulse to move her wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. She moved her wings again and suddenly found herself up above the water. She had become a dragonfly. Swooping and dipping in great curves, she flew through the air. She felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that she chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, she was right above her old friends; Tory-bug, Emily-bug, Lyndsey-bug, Whitney-bug, Dylan-bug, Fonda-bug, Mikey-bug, Tami-bug, Bernie-bug, Granny-bug, Pappy-bug, and Christopher-bug! There they were scurrying around, just as she had been doing some time before. Then the dragonfly remembered the promise: "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly she hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that she was a dragonfly, she could no longer go into the water. "I can't return!" she said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went." And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air. |
