Monday, August 13, 2018

Stargazing last night

This weekend was the peak for the Perseid Meteor Shower in North America. For those who are night-owls, or early, I mean, EARLY morning risers, there was some wonderful star gazing happening this past weekend. There is something about laying on your back on the ground, and looking up at the stars, just waiting for that streak of a shooting star. In fact, they're not shooting stars at all, they are tiny debris remnants of the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet burning up in our atmosphere as the earth orbits into the comet's wake. This happens every August. Each streaking light is merely the size of a grain of sand, yet it makes that bright light we call a "shooting star". As I stared up into the sky last night past midnight, and watched the streaks of light on a moonless night, I couldn't help think of verses in the Bible about stars. I was reminded of how magnificent our God is, how awesome He is, and the privilege to observe the wonders He has created.

Isaiah 40:26 says: "Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

And then, in Psalm 147:4 "He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names."

God can count the stars, he has named them each one by one! Wow!

What a joy to be in the quiet of the dark last night, hearing the crickets and cicadas, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness and with each passing minute, to see more and more of those named stars. Now, granted, there WAS some light pollution from nearby Maryville, the town we live close to, but on the other side of the horizon is the Smoky Mountain National Park--no light pollution from there! Thankfully, in our neighborhood almost everyone leaves their lights off at night. It sure makes for a much more magnificent star-gazing experience.

When was the last time YOU gazed at the stars? No smartphone in your hand, no lights on, and maybe not even any conversation with those near you--just lay there and look up to the Heavens...and be in awe of the One who created all of them, and then realize, He loves YOU!