Let the skies declare...

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 

Romans 1:20 NLT

I was up this morning in time to gaze into the pre-dawn sky with my oldest grandson in search of the Lyriad meteor shower. We captured two brief moments of shooting stars, but not much more. Needless to say, the time with him was what mattered, not so much that we were dazzled by shooting stars or meteors in the sky. As we repositioned from time to time to catch a different glimpse of the sky, I was amazed at how much this thirteen year old boy has not only grown in height, but in intelligence! He has this awesome app on his phone, points it toward the sky, takes note of the key stars in the constellation and speaks of the stars and their path across the night sky as they moved from horizon at sunset to their present position high above us in the early morning hours. His passion for the stars is impressive - for he is speaking of the Creator and the majesty of his dwelling!

While we didn't see huge displays of shooting stars, we did capture some of the beauty of the outdoors and the things our God has created for us to enjoy. There were the fluttering moths captivated by the street lamps and the crowing rooster in the farms nearby that gave announcement one upon another that a new day was settling in around us. The grass prickled under our bare feet and the moon held a beauty all its own as it shown with utmost clarity in the southeastern sky. The stars were radiant in the clearness of the springtime sky and the trees held that ominous shadow in the hints of light from neighboring houses and street lamps aglow. We made out shapes and forms, but some things remained hidden, yet in it all, we felt peace and listened with intent at the quietness of the early morning dawn. In all, we took in God, for in all we saw God.

How can anyone declare there is no God? After all, there is so much that bespeaks a Creator, for there is way too much that is way to complicated to have just "exploded" one day! It is these small moments away from the hectic movement of life that recenter each of us and help us remember the awesomeness of the one who holds us so close to his heart. It is these small moments he has prepared uniquely for us, so that we can connect with all he has made, enjoying it with grateful and contemplative heart. In the busy-ness of life, take time. Take time to consider the desires of a young man's heart, as he shares his passion for the stars and the Creator's heavens. Take time to listen to the repeated stories of an elderly woman, intent on sharing something, but not always able to easily recount the details of what she wants to share. Take time to sit at the bedside of a loved one struggling to make sense of a disease that ravishes her body, but intent on living. 

The beauty of the Creator is experienced in so many ways, but it is most easily experienced when we just take a moment or two and center on the things that matter most! Just sayin!