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THE SIGN "How can they do that?" asked one of the boys at the orphanage. Five or six of us boys had captured several lighting bugs in a jar. We sat outside one Saturday evening watching them as they one at a time, lit up their magical bodies. "It's like a special nature thing,” said one of the young boys. "We can't keep them in a jar for very long or they will die!" said Robert. "We can give them food and water, and they will live for a long time, won't they?" I asked. "We can't keep them locked in a jar. The church lady says that it's wrong to kill anything God made for the world. It's wrong to kill things," said Tommy. "If God didn't want us to have them, then he wouldn't let us catch them. After all, they’re just bug things," said Wayne. "If God wants us to let them go, then he could give us a special sign," suggested Tommy. All at once, the small bugs stopped lighting up. The jar now sat on the ground with us waiting to see if they would once again light up. "Maybe they’re dead now," I said. "They’re not dead. That is a sign from God to let them all go," said little Billy Smith. "That ain't no sign!" said another boy. "If God wants us to let them go, then he should make them blink just one time. Then we'll know it is a sign," said Wayne. Everyone fell totally silent and all eyes were glued on the glass jar with anticipation. All of a sudden, there was one small flash of light and then the jar fell dark once again. "That was just an accident," said Wayne. "That ain't no accident! You better let them go or you’re breaking a promise to God!" said Billy nervously. "We'll do it one more time. This time, they have to blink two times. Then we'll know it's really a sign," said Wayne. Once again, we sat in a circle around the jar silently waiting for the sign. "Holly Mackerel!" said one of the boys as two lights appeared in the small jar. Gently, one of the boys reached over and unscrewed the lid on the jar. We all sat silently with our eyes as big as saucers. Several minutes passed before we decided to thump on the jar causing the lighting bugs to fly away. The next morning, we were all loaded onto the church bus and taken to church and Sunday school. That was the one time I can remember when every one of us behaved really, really good at church.