"All people have stars, but they aren't the same. For travelers, the stars are guides. For other people, they're nothing but tiny lights. And for still others, for scholars, they're problems. For businessman, they were gold... You, though, you'll have stars like nobody else."

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The Little Prince

I've always be fascinated by time and space. For a long time, I wanted to be an astronaut. So its not surprising that God often uses things like the sun, moon, and stars to reveal things to me. (it sounds a bit pompous to say that God "reveals" things to me, but I simply mean He uses them as tools to get through to my stubborn self some lesson that I need to learn.)

Lately I've been ending every night sitting on my back porch watching the stars. Now, that's one thing I can say for the country living I've been experiencing- the stars are beautiful and bright and shine with an undiluted light in the country sky. Its an amazing experience.

I can't remember where I heard this, but somewhere along the way I learned that the star lights that we see in the sky actually is the light from stars that died thousands of years ago. That the light of stars that are living right now won't be visible to us for a thousand more years or so.

I get so caught up with instant gratification in life. I like to see the results of my actions, of my efforts soon after I've worked for them. (thus the obsession with vacuuming- instant results!) Its hard for me to swallow that often the work we do today, are planting seeds or shedding light that won't be seen for many many years. Maybe not even in our lifetimes.

I think I worry that the light of my efforts won't ever be seen. That if I can't see it now, how am I to be assured that something will actually come of it? I think deep down we all struggle with the age old questions: Does my life really matter? Will I leave my mark? Will my light outshine my lifespan? Does my life even matter NOW? Am I making a difference TODAY?

The stars aren't seen in their lifetime. Only after the star has been dead and gone and stopped really giving off light, is that light actually visible to us here on earth. But yet, the star lives its life, continues to burn with faith that someday their light will be seen.

I want to strive to be more like the stars. Living my life regardless of whether anyone sees the light of it in this moment or not. Just do my best to shine, knowing that someday, somewhere, the light of my life might be visible. Even if just to one person.