He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Our Lord is great, vast in power; His understanding is infinite. Psalm 147:4-5
My words…
Praise to the One who shatters my everyday…
When I do not remain alert and my spiritual eyes glaze over, I become enclosed by the “everyday.” You see me in my box with my toothbrush, cell phone, parking tag, office key, email, and task list. I amble along a rutted path with time spent at the gas pump, drive-through line, department meeting, dry cleaner, grocery store, and church building. I hear the same people use the same phrases which highlight the sameness of my everyday life: “Now here’s your local on the 8s.” “Did you have a nice weekend?” “Your appointment will have to be rescheduled.” “Would you bring a dessert on Sunday?” “You’ll need to upgrade your plan.” “Do you want fries with that?” After a while, my world begins to feel very, very, very…small. The box closes in.
You, Lord, are the box-shatterer – the response to the everyday. I see a Hubble image of a young star busting out of a cloud of gas at 124,000 miles per hour, and You awaken my spirit. I see the clear answer to a well-worn prayer, and my soul sings. I hear the squeaky, high-pitched praise song of a little girl, and my heart swells. And then You teach me, yet again, if I would just look at my everyday through the expensive lenses You lovingly gave me, there would be no everyday – no box. Each day would be a gift with its own opportunity to witness You in my world. And if I begin to feel my spirit lagging, I will remember the Psalmist’s lyrics and ponder You numbering the stars and giving them each a name. And there’s nothing everyday about that.
