I've been lucky enough to get away for a few nights of camping in Devon. Yes, I was well aware that it was October. It's madness, I know, but it was a much needed break from what has been a seriously hectic half-term. Births, deaths and marriages have quite literally been the bread to a sandwich already jam packed with fillings, so it was refreshing to have some time away with some good friends.
Layered up to the eyeballs to fend off the freezing temperatures, I probably shouldn't have strayed so far from the stove and sleeping bag, but each night as I took a stroll outside, I was greeted with a cloudless sky overlooking the valley. Mouth open and head back, I couldn't quite fully take in the night sky above me. I love city living, don't get me wrong, but there isn't the same night sky as there is out there. Hundreds of thousands of street lights probably don't help that. Sirens instead of owl song.
But there I was, gawping like some country bumpkin in my wellies; star gazing. I couldn't help but wonder how the heck someone could doubt the existence of God. Thousands upon thousands of stars spread across that black expanse. And infinitely more await those visible from down here.
In a casual remark at the start of the Bible, the writer says: He also made the stars. (Genesis 1v16)
Don't let the hustle and bustle of urban life get the better of you. Take a trip to countryside once in a while and get lost in wonder.
When was the last time you took a step back and let your mind race at the sheer size and magnitude of this all? Because the same hands that flung those stars into space like glitter, hold the intricacies of your everyday life with as much love as well.
Step back. Look up. Wait.
