Last night Ken and I went to a very different kind of show.... It started off like this.
This picture does not do the sunset justice. The sky was painted all shade of red and pink and light blues. It was simply gorgeous as we drove west at sunset. Normally we would not be leaving the house at 8:30 pm. That in itself makes for an interesting "start" to our evening. After a kind of short drive (think one and a half hours) we finally arrived at our destination (thanks to Google directions). Mark my words, we would NEVER have found this place without GPS! The first order of business was to apply lots of.....
We drove to one of the three "dark spots" in Illinois. Those places that are free enough of ambient light to really see the stars. We were rewarded with an amazing view that actually could take your breath away. Ken set up his tripod and took many pictures of the sky dotted with stars. You could actually see the Milky Way! Something I haven't seen since my childhood in northern Minnesota.
We were also treated to many "shooting stars" - meteors falling to earth. Thanks to being so near to Chicago it was actually difficult to sort out what were meteors and what were passing airplanes! I could not believe the number of planes flying at high altitudes that you could see from this location. They were literally crisscrossing the sky. The meteors would most often appear high in the sky and fall vertically before disappearing. Really cool to see. Ken has not looked at his photos yet, so we don't know exactly how much of this show he caught on film. But seeing it in person was an experience.
Ken had met a couple of camera buddies who had set up their own tripods in the same spot. He had plenty of "camera chatting" with these two young guys - both were so excited to actually see the Milky Way for the first time! I spent a bit of time trying to escape the bugs while sitting in the car. I still had a wonderful view of the sky. It is such a great way to contemplate the God who spoke and created this. And to consider that he knows each one of those stars by name! Sitting in that dark nature preserve, listening to the sounds of nighttime, with the canopy of stars overhead, that big, powerful God seemed so close.
I was remembering all the nights I spent as a young girl, staring up into the sky at Lake Maud. I remember it being so dark you could not see the hand in front of your face! But the stars were amazing. Every night seemed to be colored with the Northern Lights. I could pick out the various constellations with no trouble. I especially remember finding the North Star and the Big and Little dippers. With these memories was a huge sense of thankfulness. Thankful for my parents who saw the benefit of a lake home. A place away from the day to day life. Outdoor fun with lots of family. As an adult, I began to realize the sacrifices that my mom and dad made for our family to be able to have vacations, to see relatives, and to have so many wonderful times that would never have happened without Lake Maud. My dad built the cabin - board by board, nail by nail. It was added on to, year after year. Improved as there were funds to do so. I don't know exactly what the square footage was of that cabin, but it was a tiny home way before tiny houses were a thing. And it was most often pretty filled up with family. When Ken and I first started dating, we talked about our families experiences on a lake. Ken had great memories of his own at Lake Malone in Kentucky. And I had Lake Maud. I don't have any pictures of Ken and I together on our first trip to the lake in 1973. But I do have this shot of us in 1978.
As I am approaching my 65th birthday, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the dreams and plans that I had so many years ago. Some have certainly been realized. But I also know that there are many, many things that I have not yet accomplished. Places I have not visited. People that I have yet to meet. The most comforting thing is knowing that God has plans, purposes and a destiny for each one of us. Even when we might feel like we have not accomplished anything or that we have fallen short of meeting a goal, God has not given up on us. God's Not Done With You by Tauren Wells says it all so well. He's got a plan and he is going to finish what he started. Looking up at that sky, it was sure good to know that God is not done writing my story. And he is not done writing your story either!
Jesus, thank you so much for the wonder of the sky and the knowing that you know my name. Holy Spirit, comfort all of us when we feel like we have fallen short. Give us all reminders that there is so much more ahead for us all - regardless of our age! Thank you for GPS that allows us to find hidden gem places to see your creation with open eyes. Thank you Jesus! Amen
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