Star Gazing for Shooting Meteorites
As I write this I am stargazing, or more precisely meteor gazing.
I am thankful for the time I took to take a blanket outside to lie upon my lawn to look up and stare into the skies. It is impossible for me to do this without hearing God's intimate voice overwhelmingly speak to me so many wonderful thoughts. It is true that he is constantly speaking to us and we are simply too distracted and not listening.
I recalled the summer I was in Kenya on a missionary trip
and the first night I arrived I went outside and was in awe of HOW MANY stars were actually in the sky. Coming from a rural area of TN, which is not so rural anymore, I have seen stars but never it the brilliance and as numerous as in the Kenya Bush area sky. I am sure it was because we were actually closer to the equator but also because there is not electrical light in the bush of Africa. The sky was filled, every spot covered in shining little diamond like twinkles. I praised God and thanked Him.
Tonight I have only seen a few,
but I will be patient. Each "shooting star" is a thrill. My heart leaps; I am not sure why. Maybe because my being instinctively knows it is special; it feels like a gift in the sky just for me... but of course, I know so many others around the world tonight are also looking. It is a universal event. And we joy in watching, waiting and being able to experience the seeing.
Our pastor --not aware of this phenomena happening in the skies tonight-- taught about the time God intimately took Abram (who would one day be renamed Abraham) out into the darkness to see the stars. Abram was going through a dark time of his soul. Ten years earlier God had given him a covenant promise that He would make him the father of a Nation of people who would be God's. I am sure most have heard of the descendants of Abraham. Well, Abram was discouraged because he was now in his 80s and he had no heir. How was he to be the Father of many descendants without a son of his own. Therefore God took Abram out, and walked with him in his time of darkness and told him to look up to the skies. He told him to number the stars if he could -- that his descendants WOULD be as the number of stars in the sky. God kept his promise.
Today I am one of those little shining star descendants of Abraham.
What a fine family I am blessed to be part of; what a wonderful heritage. We are more alike -- akin -- as human beings than we frequently recognize. We are all of one race, coming from one line and having one Creator that we can all equally trust to be our Redeeming Father and King. Sadly, we all need this redemption--we are each flawed, filled with sins, seemingly as the number of stars in the sky, but we are joyously able to be forgiven, cleansed by Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection.
I am a child a God. I am one of those stars in Abraham's night. And for that I thank God. I hope you are also. It is good to be numbered among the stars of Abraham's descendants through Jesus.
I have seen several more falling stars as I type. Each is a treasure to behold, but to God we are each a treasure of his. We are his little lights; His shining stars on a dark planet earth. A few of us are even delightful shooting stars, at times, glowing brightly, shooting across a sad, dark and all too frequently evil world of people who are self-centered and absorbed chasing after pleasure and wants so fast and hard that they burn out or up before they take time to consider their Creator and their eternity.
God is so good, so full of grace.
He provides a way to Him and away from the power, guilt, shame and penalty of sin. We can be free indeed, as we were created to be... little bright lights of joy bringing Him glory. I thank God for this time to reflect on Him, life and wonders. I thank Him for the stars and the several shooting meteorites I was able to view, but most of all I thank Him that He made sure in this life of mine that I was able to come to know Him, that He walks with me and talks with me and will from now and throughout eternity. I am never, and will never, be alone; He is always with me and never forsakes me... even in the darkest hour He is right there with me. And this is the gift offered for every one of us. Choice today whom you will serve. As for me and my house I serve the Lord.
I think I will go awake my daughter to see if she wants to share this moment in the skies.
Joy to you and yours today.
Lindy
I am thankful for the time I took to take a blanket outside to lie upon my lawn to look up and stare into the skies. It is impossible for me to do this without hearing God's intimate voice overwhelmingly speak to me so many wonderful thoughts. It is true that he is constantly speaking to us and we are simply too distracted and not listening.
I recalled the summer I was in Kenya on a missionary trip
and the first night I arrived I went outside and was in awe of HOW MANY stars were actually in the sky. Coming from a rural area of TN, which is not so rural anymore, I have seen stars but never it the brilliance and as numerous as in the Kenya Bush area sky. I am sure it was because we were actually closer to the equator but also because there is not electrical light in the bush of Africa. The sky was filled, every spot covered in shining little diamond like twinkles. I praised God and thanked Him.
Tonight I have only seen a few,
but I will be patient. Each "shooting star" is a thrill. My heart leaps; I am not sure why. Maybe because my being instinctively knows it is special; it feels like a gift in the sky just for me... but of course, I know so many others around the world tonight are also looking. It is a universal event. And we joy in watching, waiting and being able to experience the seeing.
Our pastor --not aware of this phenomena happening in the skies tonight-- taught about the time God intimately took Abram (who would one day be renamed Abraham) out into the darkness to see the stars. Abram was going through a dark time of his soul. Ten years earlier God had given him a covenant promise that He would make him the father of a Nation of people who would be God's. I am sure most have heard of the descendants of Abraham. Well, Abram was discouraged because he was now in his 80s and he had no heir. How was he to be the Father of many descendants without a son of his own. Therefore God took Abram out, and walked with him in his time of darkness and told him to look up to the skies. He told him to number the stars if he could -- that his descendants WOULD be as the number of stars in the sky. God kept his promise.
Today I am one of those little shining star descendants of Abraham.
What a fine family I am blessed to be part of; what a wonderful heritage. We are more alike -- akin -- as human beings than we frequently recognize. We are all of one race, coming from one line and having one Creator that we can all equally trust to be our Redeeming Father and King. Sadly, we all need this redemption--we are each flawed, filled with sins, seemingly as the number of stars in the sky, but we are joyously able to be forgiven, cleansed by Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection.
I am a child a God. I am one of those stars in Abraham's night. And for that I thank God. I hope you are also. It is good to be numbered among the stars of Abraham's descendants through Jesus.
I have seen several more falling stars as I type. Each is a treasure to behold, but to God we are each a treasure of his. We are his little lights; His shining stars on a dark planet earth. A few of us are even delightful shooting stars, at times, glowing brightly, shooting across a sad, dark and all too frequently evil world of people who are self-centered and absorbed chasing after pleasure and wants so fast and hard that they burn out or up before they take time to consider their Creator and their eternity.
God is so good, so full of grace.
He provides a way to Him and away from the power, guilt, shame and penalty of sin. We can be free indeed, as we were created to be... little bright lights of joy bringing Him glory. I thank God for this time to reflect on Him, life and wonders. I thank Him for the stars and the several shooting meteorites I was able to view, but most of all I thank Him that He made sure in this life of mine that I was able to come to know Him, that He walks with me and talks with me and will from now and throughout eternity. I am never, and will never, be alone; He is always with me and never forsakes me... even in the darkest hour He is right there with me. And this is the gift offered for every one of us. Choice today whom you will serve. As for me and my house I serve the Lord.
I think I will go awake my daughter to see if she wants to share this moment in the skies.
Joy to you and yours today.
Lindy
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Lindy