A Shooting Star

My dog is a very particular dog sometimes. Most nights, when we are getting ready to go to bed, we let him out so he doesn’t wake us up early to get outside. At night when we let him out, he doesn’t like to do this alone (maybe he’s afraid of a vacuum hiding in the darkness near the bushes?) Being summertime, I don’t mind following him out the door and insisting he actually goes down the stairs. In this time, I get to sit outside where there is little light, and close to no noise.

Tonight, as I was waiting a particularly long time for him, I looked up to notice a perfectly clear sky. We don’t get those very often in Grimsby, between cloudy nights or pollution converging from Hamilton and St. Catharines. As I was looking towards the Niagara Escarpment, I saw a shooting star, from start, right to disappearing forever. And I couldn’t help but feel the warmth and love of Christ as I stood there knowing that the star was just for me (I know, a bit pretentious, but for the sake of this post, let’s just go with it).

I love nature. I enjoy sitting at my desk with my curtains wide open. I love going for walks, especially into forests or on the beach. My family and I went camping a few weeks ago and I was able to really see the beauty in creation. It is always amazing to be able to be away from home, in parks or camping areas, where the location is chosen specifically for its beautiful surroundings.

But why can’t we find this joy at home? Why do we always have to be deep in a forest, far away on a beach in Mexico, or even gazing at a picture on the computer? God’s beautiful creation is all around us, no matter where you are. The small blades of grass that together make up a wonderfully green lawn.  The lines in a leaf. The colours of the trees along the Escarpment in the fall. A shooting star.

There’s no huge life lesson here, and I didn’t just discover the answer to life, the universe and everything. I was just outside with my dog when God sent me a simple reminder to enjoy and cherish the beautiful creation He has blessed us with that is all around us no matter where we are. Through all of these simple little things, we are all granted a small taste of heaven, and God’s beauty as our Wonderful Creator.

So next time you step outside, take a moment to notice creation, and thank our perfect Father for revealing his beauty in a fallen world.

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. -Nehemiah 9:6