Rachel Whisman

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

I do not stay up late. It is not in my DNA to do so. I am the crazy lady who wakes up before the sun rises and enjoys doing so. Also, I do not do spontaneity. I plan time for spontaneity, which I realize is antithetical, but you get the point. So when my friends said let’s go watch a meteor shower at one am in the morning, you can only assume the immediate paralysis and hesitation on my end. However, the school year hasn’t started yet, so I let it rip and said why not. Sure glad I did and these are some of the things that I enjoyed.

Quiet

I constantly have music playing wherever I am. Either I am blaring it from my speaker at home or in the car and to be stripped of that for a couple of hours was therapeutic.

Stillness

Usually, my friends and I play pickleball, go somewhere to eat, or hang out in our small group. We always are doing something. Of course, watching a meteor shower falls into the category of doing something, but the pace is much slower. Most of the night, we were lying on the roof of a car, gazing up at the sky, and just being still. No agenda, just waiting to watch a meteor strike across the sky. Just being with one another was calming. 

Don’t we struggle with this balance with the Lord? Always going at a fast pace instead of slowing down and reminding ourselves of the company we have in HIm? I’m not saying we all retreat to monasteries, but this encourages me to take more time to slow down my pace to rest with Him.

Did you see it?

“No” seemed to be my friend and I’s constant response to our other friend. The sky was vast and the meteors came swiftly, and somehow my friend and I always missed seeing the meteors but our other friend didn’t. It was tragic. 

It made me think of my finitude. I can’t do everything, see everything, or take it all in. My perspective is limited, but that is how we were created. On the flip side. God does not miss anything but sees and does all according to His purpose. Nothing is out of sight for him where we can question Him with “Did you see it?” because He always does.

Darkness

Why not go and explore a little bit, in the middle of the night, at a park, with only an iPhone light to guide you? The light was helpful, but only to a certain extent. Stay close to it and you see where you’re going. Stay far away from the light and you’re dabbling with the unknown and it becomes slightly disorientating. This made me think of the following verse “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). The word is meant to be trusted and to stay close to so that it will guide and direct you. 

Chill-out

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.” (Ecclesiastes 11:9). If you are in Christ, your heart is redeemed and the Lord is directing it to the desires of His own as we walk by faith compelled by His Spirit. As we grow in the fear of the Lord, it creates more freedom to enjoy what He has given us. 

I take myself way too seriously. I’m impatient with myself and see mostly through black and white. Yet, I have continued to see the Lord’s goodness in how the Lord is working on me through the friends He has brought into my life over the years and even recently. Friends that push me to let go and do silly and fun things. They cheer my heart and tonight was no exception. 

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1