Love and stargazing

The other day, I was reading a blog of my dear friend Mary concerning some new insights she had about her new job. Shes always great at finding the glimmers of light wherever she is - so she found an elderly couple that a completely in love and care for each other.
Her comments got me thinking.

I went to a review meeting - it happens every year at this time - for my church and many people had much to say about the service and ministry that is taking place there - which is all well and good. But I couldn't help but feel challenged to mention the importance of "vision and adaptation" (ie Mary seeing beauty/love in a place where others don't or can't see it).

Ministry in particular, is a field where a balance must be kept between the practical needs of the people, the teaching and growing of new disciples and stargazing.

Stargazing?
Yes stargazing.

In the Old Testament God challenged Abraham to look to the skies and process the thought that his decendents would be as many as (if not more than) the stars in the sky. At this time both he and his wife were elderly and hadn't been able to bear ANY children. Thousands of decendents? One child alone would have been a miracle at this point and stage of life... but God gave Abraham more that a miracle - he gave him hope for his future and really the overall future of mankind.

Life is rather like this. I know I often look around and think, "Man, how is this ever going to work out." and " Gee, I hope that people come to the show I'm try to set up." How about the classic, " I just think I don't fit here, there or everywhere..." .

Whatever the doubt, fear, or frustration - I need to remember to look up and see things from a stargazers point of view.

Now some would say that this is simply an idealistic point of view, or just another poets or dreamer's vision of what could be possible if. Well, heres the thing.

Just like Abraham, each one of us has a sky full of stars to look at and be inspired by. God has given all of us a piece of sky to work with and my question to myself is, "...now what can we do with all this?"

First, I need to look up and take a peek at the "sky/stars" God is showing me.
Two, I need to ask the questions like, "Now what could be done with that?"
Three, I need to stop and try to listen to God's direction on what to do with my piece of sky.
Four, I need to trust God with the placement, pattern and passion for all the "stars" in my life.
This stargazing is not something that can be summed up in following four steps. It's way to etheral for that, but it helps to sort it out in a way I can start to understand it.

I have to admit that I'm the kind of person that enjoys stargazing and envisioning the possibilites and the what ifs of life. I grab onto one, see how it shines, tell other people about it, try to get them to see how amazing it is and try to grow that possibility into a probability, to an opportunity, and finally a fact of life.

However, there is the catch for me. Sometimes there are so many glimmers out there I'm not always sure where to start. Or maybe the glimmer turns out different than I thought it would be. Alas, the sun looks like a tiny star from here, but if you get to close it can vaporize you. But, I will not stop stargazing, even if I occasionally get burned because the amount of potential that surrounds us every day is blinding - if only we ask for the eyes to see it.

Just like the sun warms and provides light to an entire solar system - imagine the brillance of a thousand suns. Remember, the sun is a star too; it's just a little ways away. So look up and ask God what stars are in your sky, what you find there could light up a life that was filled with darkness. That light could fill up the entire universe - only if we ask for eyes to see it. Open my eyes - I need to see some stars.

Peace,
Tara