Beth Shulam copyright 2024
The phenomena of the cicada has hit Nashville, Tennessee.
These critters are everywhere. Literally. Outside they swarm from dawn to dusk. They are crawling on houses, trees, and plants.
Worse of all, they are LOUD. Ear piercingly LOUD.
And for what? They live dormant for 13 to 17 years and reappear for a few weeks for no other purpose that to reproduce and die.
Or so I thought.....
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cicadas:
Cicadas are a valuable food source for birds and other predators.
Cicadas can aerate lawns and improve water filtration into the ground.
Cicadas add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
According to our dearly departed beagle Roscoe, they are tasty snacks.
The Creator did not make any living being without a purpose. They may be annoying, but they are harmless and quite gentle. They have an otherworldly beauty and their lifecycles are unique. And, they are biblical. God used them to encourage the Pharaoh in Egypt to release his people Israel from bondage.
God loves them, so I guess I do too....