// I can see the stories in the stars Have you ever read them?
There is thick darkness In between the light There is hardship In the night sky
Sometimes I stare at the stars until they are too weak to fight dawn When I look closely, I can read the stars They tell me stories of all that they have seen
Every nighttime dream Every fist fight in the alley Every late night sneak out Every date night kiss Every “sweet dreams” and tuck the blanket beneath their chin Every late night radio blaring drive Every street wanderer who falls asleep looking up at the stars
I wonder which memories they choose to keep Is it hard to see all that happens? Are they jealous, excited, fearful, or awestruck? Maybe I stare too long at the stars And start to believe that they have the ability to see In reality Maybe all they have is the ability to be seen To be looked upon Wished upon Gazed on Constellations formed from These small flickering lights that twinkle in the sky
I can see the stories in the stars Even if no one else does //
This past year, stars have been a constant. Every night they are out. Whether I can see them or not, they are there. They have been a reminder of hope. They have been a reminder of temporality. They have been a reminder of struggle. They have been a reminder of light. Pure. Unhindered. Purposed. Light.
You know, some days are hard. Things don’t go as planned. People are frustrating and confusing. My car will make this head-turning noise and embarrass me. The laundry, dishes, homework, scheduling–all of it. None of it helps.
You know, some days are great. Things don’t go as planned. They go better. People are frustrating Satan’s attacks in my life by standing beside me through the confusing trials. My car will make this head-turning noise and embarrass me…but I start laughing and smiling. I can’t stop smiling when I think of every blessing that God has poured out on my life. The laundry, dishes, homework, scheduling–all of it. Every single thing I do has meaning…on the hard days and the great days.
After a long day, I will sometimes grab a blanket and lay it out in the grass. I spread it gently with my palms. Warm fabric beneath my hands. And then I sit. I survey all that gravity has a hold on, taking in what surrounds me. The breeze awakes my senses. The trees. The leaves. The buildings off in the distance. The late-night drivers living in the reality that I am slowly leaving as I fall back against the blanket and take in the night sky, the thing that gravity doesn’t seem to have a hold on. The stars. Oh, how the stars amaze me.
Psalm 148:2-4 Praise Him, all his angels; praise Him, all His armies! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, you heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens.
Psalm 147:3-5 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!
Psalm 8:3-5 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.
Psalm 136:6-9 Give thanks to Him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to Him who made the heavenly lights–His faithful love endures forever. The sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever. And the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.
I like to think of myself as someone who doesn’t often get lost, but I can’t help the way I get lost in the stars. This one time, I took off my heels and laid in a dress on the street–probably really dangerous but recommended–and I got lost as I gazed into the stars. More than likely that moment has been etched into the story that the stars speak of me. I can’t deny that the stories they tell are at times heart-wrenching, full of anger, frantic, distant, and loud. But it’s okay…because the stories they tell are also real, beautiful, forgiving, hopeful, and filled with laughter and peace.
They keep on shining. They remind me to smile. They remind me to be unhindered in all that I do. I have to keep pressing forward and trust in the God who knows every star by name and still remembers my name. The God who loves me. The God who is writing my story. From beginning. To end.
Comments