Short and Sweet, Like a Shooting Star

I was out walking the neighborhood this morning as I try to do most mornings, when a flash in the sky caught my eye. It was sudden, it was brief, it was spectacular.......then it was gone. This event brought my attention to the sky where I suddenly was aware that there were thousands of true stars that I hadn't noticed up to that point. They had been there all along, but I wasn't paying attention to them. Here are the things that this brief experience taught me:

1) The "shooting star", which isn't actually a star at all, was there briefly and then it was gone. The true stars had been there all along and they remained. In fact, scientists tell us that the light we see from some of these stars is hundreds and thousands of years old. Some of those stars have actually already exploded in a magnificent display, yet we are still observing the light they emitted years ago.

2) The appearance of the the "shooting star" was seemingly random. They happen unnoticed all the time. In fact, the only way you see one is if you happen to be at the right place at the right time. The true stars are always there and those who are familiar with them know exactly where to look for them. Night after night, year after year, they remain constant and dependable.

3) While the "shooting star" was spectacular and impressive, its light was sudden and fleeting. However, there were true stars there which shined so brightly one might mistake them for an airplane that is only a short distance away. Even though the star is an unbelievable distance from us, its light penetrates all that darkness as easily as the flashlight I hold in my hand!

I trust you can see all the spiritual and life applications these "star lessons" can teach us without me spelling it all out. So, ask yourself, which do I want to be? The brilliant and spectacular, the sudden and passing. Or would I rather my light outshine my own time here on this Earth?

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