Yesterday evening my family and I went outside in hopes of seeing the Christmas star.
The last time it happened was 800 years ago. It may have also been the star that the Magi followed in search of the Christ child.
It was cloudy.
While we will go back out today, tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that, too, if need be, in hopes of seeing it, winter in the Midwest is famous for its perma-cloud. Chances are good that this celestial event will pass without the Zelenkas witnessing it.
But, knowing that there is a potential explanation for the star that the Magi tracked, even if I can't experience it for myself, is yet another hint of how incredibly awesome our God is.
In August the past few years, we have either camped out or woken up in the middle of the night to watch the Perseid meteor shower. Most of what we observed was nothing more than a slow moving, faint dot. But, seeing even just one bright, streaky flash is yet another reminder of just how great our God is.
These types of events evoke wonder, awe, and mystery. They are visible signs of our invisible God.
Yet, these rare night sky events shouldn't be the only thing that inspires this type of curiosity. The sun rises every morning. Our earth is perhaps the perfect distance away from the sun: a bit closer or farther away and we'd be either too hot or too cold. God orchestrated things like oranges, apples, bananas and other hand-held, portion-sized, protected, nutritious, delicious food that would help nourish us. A hug can flood us with oxytocin, bringing calm, security, and a deeper connection to a loved one. A mother carries, grows, and brings into the world another human being.
Stars and the moon provide light in the darkness, even on a cloudy evening.
There are countless reasons, even just in ordinary times, for us to be amazed at the creativity of our God.
And, He loved us so much that He became one of us.
A Christmas star highlighted the first Christmas. It was a sign of the presence of God in our world.
Don't let the clouds or the darkness keep you from seeing the countless stars in the night lighting the way to God this Christmas.
