Seeing the Stars

This time of year Jesus’s birth is told and retold as we pass down the story to our children and grandchildren. The three wise men came from afar and followed a star. The star shone brightly and led them to Bethlehem to the baby Jesus.

When is the last time you noticed the stars? If you’re like me, it’s probably been awhile. In fact, there are many nights when it’s difficult to even see them. Why? Because man has lit up the sky with our own lights. To the point where the stars, made by God, are often obscure.

I never realized the extent of this until I was in a place of pure darkness. In Maui, Hawaii, my husband and I rented a car and drove the “Road to Hana.” I’d recently completed a Bible study in which the author talked about the Seven Sacred Pools, a series of seven natural waterfalls on the side of a mountain. Each one flows into a natural pool. She described it with such beauty and told how it was one of the most inspiring moments of her life.

Along the way, we followed “insiders guide” to Maui with directions on how to get to hidden beaches and waterfalls along the Road to Hana that most tourists don’t know about. Stop after stop we witnessed some of the most breathtaking natural beauty we’d ever seen. Many times we were the only ones at these hidden gems. It was a magical day.

By the time we got to the Seven Sacred Pools it was already late afternoon. This was supposed to have been the highlight of our day, but we soon realized they were crowded with tourists and locals alike. Along the falls were man-made sidewalks and steps with guard rails up for safety. It was a complete disappointment. In fact, we only stayed a few minutes before heading back to our car. After an entire day of breathtaking sights left in their natural state, the crowds of people and man-made “improvements” shocked our minds and our souls.

We got in our car and started back. We had a several hour drive ahead of us and knew it’d be dark before we were back to our hotel. Sure enough, about an hour into our journey back, the sun started setting. Unbeknownst to us the most beautiful sight of the day was still ahead. As darkness fell, it enveloped us. I looked up. There above us was a blanket of stars. Literally thousands. They were the brightest stars I’d ever seen. We pulled off the side of the road to stop the car so we could both just stare at the sky. It truly was incredible. We sat in wonder looking up. After all of the beauty we’d seen that day, this was the grand finale. From God, to us. We were left in awe. We’d never seen a display such as this.

Those same stars are in the sky over Maryland. We just can’t see them. We’ve illuminated so much around us that we can no longer see one of God’s best gifts to us. Doesn’t this seem strange? And wrong? And sad.

Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:2

In some ways, we’ve done the same thing in our lives. We’ve illuminated so many things every day; our home, our jobs, our kids, ourselves, TV, social media…the list is endless. As a result, we no longer see God. We’ve lost our focus and packed our lives so full that we don’t leave room for God. In this season, as Christmas draws near, how can you pull back? What can you eliminate? What areas in your life need the light dimmed? How can you put the focus back on God? He’s always there. It’s up to us to seek Him.

And when you get a chance, put yourself in a place where you can really see the stars.