Taking out the garbage on cold winter night can be an
amazing experience.
Psalm 89:6 For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the
LORD among the heavenly beings?
I love winter nights. Last evening, as I was wheeling the garbage bin to the
front yard, I looked up at the sky and was immediately overawed. Thousands of
stars were dazzling like beautiful diamonds and even although it was very cold,
I just stood there like a schoolboy, gaping and gazing at the glittering
constellations. No matter how often I see them, I am totally amazed. I guess
that the right phrase is ‘star struck,’ but it has nothing to do with the
movies.
My neighbors must think I’m crazy. They probably hear me trundle out the bin to
the street and then watch me from behind their blinds. “There’s that loony
Scotsman, standing in the street again, looking up at the sky. Has he never seen
the stars?” If I could answer them, I would say, “No, I haven’t.”
You see star gazing is a bit like sea watching – the sky is always different and
constantly changing. I see a new sky each night when I stop to look upwards.
What happens at that moment will never ever occur again. To the casual observer,
everything looks the same, but to a star gazer like me, there’s always something
that is different.
One thing remains constant though, my thankfulness to God as I am overawed by
the whole experience. If the winter sky looks so expansive, wonderful, and
astounding, what must God be like? That’s why a verse like today’s has great
meaning for me; each time I look at the stars I think: what can compare to God
in the skies above? What is most like God across the stellar heavens?
I feel full of wonder, and that’s what makes God wonderful to me. He can take a
weekly routine chore and turn it into something totally amazing.
Prayer: Lord God, thank You for creating the universe and for filling it with
stars. Thank You for the wonder and awe that they inspire. Continue to touch our
hearts and souls with Your Creative powers. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray.
Amen.
John Stuart
traqair@aol.com
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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