A Star-Filled Sky

Loneliness. Despair. Restlessness.

These are my initial feelings at being out to sea. I was about to go crazy sitting in my stateroom and so I put my headphones on and rocked out dancing around to O God Our Help In Ages Past. Ha, it helped a little bit:)
What really pierced through my heart though was when I went outside for fifteen minutes before the Ops brief. I knew the Christmas party for my church care group was going on while I was out there but all I could think was that if I was there I would be missing this beautiful sight.

So many stars, the sound of the ocean, and water as far as the eye can see.

These were the same stars that Abraham gazed at probably through tear-filled eyes as God foretold the number of his descendants. He was probably also acutely mindful of his old lady of a wife Sarah probably lay sleeping nearby. These were the same stars I had gazed at countless times before in my life. So many Spirit-filled times around the campfire at White Sulphur Springs. The sweet smell of the forest and the cool mountain air refreshing my senses. Wonderful people surrounded me, all singing to the same magnificent God, his Spirit filling everyone with breath. How brightly the stars did shine then!

So I sat curled up, staring at the stars that night and felt God telling me, Behold the number and brilliance of these stars; so are my promises for you. Did you not know they were here? I swallowed hard at this and tears pushed at my eyes. So many stars, so many promises that shine out. How rarely do I retreat from my life to meditate on them and gain strength from them? Tonight though they came alive for me finally and through tear-filled eyes I sang the only words that came to my heart.

O Lord
You're beautiful
Your face is all I seek
And when your eyes
Are on this child
Your grace abounds
To me

In that moment I was enfolded as the beloved of God.