Another “It Happened Again” story –
I heard there would be a meteor shower, and though my backyard is heavily wooded, I still took a chance and found a spot to lie down where the sky was least obstructed. It felt sort of useless, since the area of sky I could see was limited. It was very late and everyone else in my house was slumbering, so I chose to wait to see if any star would shoot across my small tunnel of vision.
I didn’t have to wait long before a star shot across the sky right above me! Just one, but it was enough.
And I remembered another meteor shower I wrote about a while back. Different outcome, but the message is the same.
Here is what I wrote back in the isolated, uncertain days of Covid.
I heard there would be a BIG meteor shower between 12:00 and 6:00 am. I was awake at midnight (no surprise there), so in spite of the 27-degree temp., I put on my warmest coat, hat, and gloves. I grabbed a few warm blankets and dragged a chaise lounge onto the already icy grass. The stars were bright, and the sky was dark. I used the compass on my phone to make sure my feet pointed in the direction the internet said was the prime viewing spot. I covered up with the blankets and lay back to await the Quadrantids meteor shower. Then the clouds rolled in! Within 10 minutes, the stars were hidden by the clouds! I waited another 10 minutes – hoping the clouds would roll out as quickly as they rolled in.
Nope!
I was a little frustrated that all my effort was for naught. And I knew there was a massive meteor shower still happening. I just couldn’t see it.
Lying under blankets – in the middle of my yard – in the quiet of the night, I stared up at the sky. I only saw clouds, but I knew there were stars shooting across the galaxy on the other side of those clouds.
Sometimes life is like that. We don’t always see what is happening beyond our sight. We don’t understand why bad things happen, why life can be hard, why love seems elusive, why, why, why… We can’t see what is happening in the heavenly realms. We don’t always understand how hard things shape us into something God can use for our good and His glory.
But we trust and we strengthen our faith by doing so.
The recent meteor shower had a similar effect on me. If I didn’t see a star stream across the sky, it didn’t mean there weren’t stars streaking across the sky somewhere. It just meant my limited view kept me from seeing it.
To be honest, the past 15 months have been filled with uncertainty, heartache, and confusion. There have been many bright spots along the way, but the other emotions were real. I believe God was working even when I didn’t have the full picture. It was often hidden behind a cloud of uncertainty, and our vision of the future was limited. So, Hubby and I held on to the truths we know.
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:6
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose Romans 8:28
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5,6
We trusted the Lord and sought His wisdom and guidance. We chose to trust that the stars of goodness, provision and peace were shooting even if we couldn’t see them.
What are you believing? Is your vision restricted? Can you trust even when you don’t see?
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