Look at the Stars!

When I was a child, we lived on a quiet street on the outskirts of a Virginia town. One warm summer night, my father motioned for me to come to the backyard. I was already in my pajamas—the kind with the “feet” in them (remember those?).  

I followed my father onto the grass and sat in his lap. “Look at the stars!” he murmured. I leaned onto his shoulder and looked up. I’d seen the stars before—this was different. The sky looked like crushed black velvet with a ribbon of Milky Way, brightened by so many stars I knew I’d never be able to count them. I was only five, but the memory of that night made an impression on my heart that remained.        
Later, as a teenager, my friends and I became enamored with different kinds of “stars.” A friend opened her “heartthrob” magazine to the centerfold, blushing at the photo of her latest Hollywood crush. Some of those “stars” gained my attention, too.

As teens, we were distracted by worldly enticements. But adults can be distracted by worldly things, too. Maybe it’s not the latest celebrity. Instead, perhaps it's being enticed by the latest technology or swayed by attention-getting online marketing or social media advertisements. Nothing is wrong with “things”—if they don’t become our primary focus. But sometimes the influence of the world draws us away from God and His creation.
       
All this summer, I waited for an opportunity to see the stars in the mountains. Finally, that night arrived—reminiscent of long ago when I sat with my father in the backyard, mesmerized by the expansive starry sky. 
        
Not every night presents an opportunity to see stars, but wherever you live, you can take in the wonder of God’s creation. Sometimes, that special place is in your own backyard.
     
Go to that quiet place. Breathe. Calm your mind. Rest your soul. Bask in the beauty surrounding you—for God created you to be part of it. 
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“God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night; the stars also.” - Genesis 1:16

“Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name.” – Jeremiah 31:35

“The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day like the stars of heaven in number.” – Deuteronomy 1:10

“He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” – Psalm 147:4

"But I will give many descendants to my servant David and to the family group of Levi who serve me in the Temple. They will be as many as the stars in the sky that no one can count. They will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore that no one can measure." -  Jeremiah 33:22

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com

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