Stargazing


The other night I came home from a late rehearsal to find my husband sitting outside, enjoying a cigar. I sat with him for a while and we mused over the beauty of the full moon and the stars. The moon was incredible—big and luminous. We sat there for over an hour just watching it rise in the sky, and then took out a small telescope to get an even better view. I was reminded of younger days, lying on a blanket on our thick St. Augustine lawn in Bradenton, looking for the man in the moon. Some nights I could see eyes and a mouth… others I’d see the profile of a woman, or a man and a monster.

Last night we ventured back out after dark. The breeze was warm and balmy, the night clear, and the sky spectacular. We stared up into the heavens and enjoyed the view, occasionally breaking the silence to point out a bright star twinkling in hues of red, yellow, and white. This verse from Scripture came into my mind: “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” Psalm 147:4. Amazing. This also brought to mind Psalm 8:

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!.

Looking at the moon and the stars made me feel very small, but when I thought about this psalm, I was reminded of God’s incredible love and care for all of creation—especially man. The overwhelming beauty of creation is a testament to the glory of God, and his love for his children evident in the place he has given man in creation.

I’m looking forward to another clear night and some stargazing.