| Psalm 19:1-2 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” |
In the summer of 2000, I was working in Tucson, AZ, as a consultant at one of the hospitals. It took me a few days to realize that the streetlights seemed a bit dim, and it was darker than usual while I was driving around after sunset. I asked one of my coworkers about this and she explained that the streetlights were less bright on purpose so as not to interfere with the astronomy observatories on the nearby mountains. One evening we took a drive to just outside the city limits and I was in awe of the beauty of the night sky. Never before had I see the stars and constellations so clearly, and the Milky Way seemed so close that I could almost touch it. My friend explained that by reducing the illumination from the streetlights by even a small percentage, it made a huge difference in what could be seen by both the naked eye and at the research observatories.
It caused me to think about my own life – what good things do I have (my job, caring for my family and my home, doing charity work) that are actually interfering with what God wants to bless me with? Streetlights are a good thing, guiding and protecting us while we drive at night. But Tucson was able to find a balance between safety and the beauty of the stars. Maybe I need to ‘dim the lights’ a bit on my busyness – whether it is housework or on my computer – and spend time learning what God wants to show me.
Prayer: Lord, help me to find balance in my life. Work, home, school, family – all of these are good things. But sometimes I get so busy with these ‘things’ that I neglect to sit quietly and see the beauty around me, and to learn more about what you desire for my life. I want to see you more clearly, even if it means dimming the lights elsewhere. Amen
– Betty Gossell
