When The Stars Burn Down/Perseid Meteor Shower

I love watching the night skies deep in the middle of the night.  

Early this morning, 3:30 a.m., I turned off all the outside lights,  arranged my lawn chair, my music (Phillips, Craig & Dean: "When the Stars Burn Down") and coffee and prepared to view the Perseid Meteor Shower.  This was to be the perfect time to view it in all its glory.

I was a bit disappointed.  Although I got a 'taste' of what was going on in the heavens it was less than I expected.  Light pollution, ( artificial light) being produced by our dense populations has dimmed our night skies, making it more and more difficult to see the vast display of the Creator's hand in the heavenlies.  Consider this verse from the Psalmist:

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge."

(Psalm 19)

The heavens in all their glory speak to us of the vastness of God; of the creativity of God; His sovereignty over it all.

Yet -  

the light pollution manufactured in the urban areas where we live obscures and dims the display of His handiwork throughout the heavens.  Do you miss it?  Do you even know its there?

There are other things in my life that diminish and obscure what God is doing.  It's not brought on by manufactured light pollution, but by manufactured life pollution.  It's brought on by busyness, selfishness, worry, my next purchase, my next project...things that are attractive to me...things I desire. 

Things that overshadow and diminish the Light of Christ in my life.

Just as the manufactured light in our urban areas diminishes the light in the heavenlies, the manufactured life I sometimes live can surely diminish the Light in my life.

Lord, help me surrender to you.  To seek You early in the morning and let Your light guide me during the day.  At night when I have opportunity to see a vast array of the stars in the heavens, let me remember that when You took Abraham outside to see the star-filled sky, You told him that so would his offspring be.  I delight to know that one of those stars lit then was representing me!