“Papa” Cricket

My kids caught a cricket today in their camper bug catcher & named it, “Papa Cricket” (we just watched the Smurfs, so that may have influenced the name choice). They filled their red camper catcher with a rock, two sticks, a seashell, azalea leaves & flowers, a medicine cup of water, two tiny apples from the orchard & the scraps from my tomato I had for lunch. (it is quite the Bed & Breakfast)

I’ve been thinking about Papa Cricket all day & how quiet he is. I googled, “why do crickets only chirp at night” out of curiosity.

Turns out, not all species of crickets can chirp, and in those species which can, only males are capable of producing such sounds & they do so to attract a mate. Maybe Papa Cricket is a Granny Cricket?

“They chirp primarily at night because during the day, natural environments are filled with sounds from insects, birds, wind rustling leaves, and human activities—all of which create background noise. At night, many of these noises diminish significantly. This quietness gives cricket calls more prominence and effectiveness in communication.”

(I sincerely didn’t mean for this to turn into a lecture about crickets lol)

I find it very interesting though, that they have a time to chirp & a time to be quiet. Their quiet time is during the day, just as we are getting loud & chaotic. Then they start their song in the stillness of the night while we are all quieting down to sleep.

We have been observing Papa Cricket all day. We even rescued him once from drowning in his “water bowl” earlier, Adlee consoled him with many a, “it’s okay Papa Cricket, I got you”.

As my kids excitedly observe Papa Cricket, I couldn’t help but wonder what he was hearing in those squeals & giggles during what may be his quiet time. Was he as comforted as we are listening to his chirps at night? (I highly doubt it)

I wrote this little “poem” that puts into words these thoughts on Papa Cricket:

Papa Cricket

I am amazed at every detail of God’s creation. It is an absolute wonder; I marvel at it all!

He cares about every detail – He is meticulous! (a word that my mom used to describe her & I this morning over facetime, in which we agreed was better than “over-the-top”, “extra”, or “nitpicky”)

me·tic·u·lous [məˈtikyələs] –showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

I see Him in all the little details of creation, it brings me closer to His heart & I feel like I know Him more, as I stop to notice & admire it all.

Just as little crickets have a time to chirp & a time to be quiet, so it is with us – a time for everything, as we are reminded in Ecclesiastes 3:1-14.

A Time for Everything

3 For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
² A time to be born and a time to die.
    A time to plant and a time to harvest.
³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
    A time to tear down and a time to build up.
⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
    A time to keep and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
    A time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do people really get for all their hard work? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. ¹¹ Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. ¹² So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. ¹³ And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

¹⁴ And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 

So, when you hear the crickets chirp at night, I hope you will always be reminded of this truth 💛

In love,

kortney sue