Looking for Stars

 

   Hello!

This past week has been a hurricane week. 

What do I mean by that? I mean, this last week has been full of events that have slammed into me with all the force of a hurricane.They have left me bewildered. I want to run and hide in a cave until it's all over. 

I will not go into all the details, but what I will say, is that the trials have made me look for the light in the darkness. Because, even in the darkest periods of our lives, there is hope. 

It's one reason I love the stars so much. They're beautiful and glittering. Like a king's crown, but they are so much more than that. Stars are a reminder that even in a dark sky, there is light. And it's untouchable. Darkness cannot win. Not ultimately. 

Yes, there are times when it looks like the darkness will have the victory. Times, you want to give up hope. But there is light in the darkness if only we will look for it.

I'm not a pie-in-the-sky girl. I will not pretend that everything is okay. I'm too much of a realist to do that. But I can see the value of looking for the good. Looking for the stars in situations where it seems like there is nothing good happening.

For me, this week it was small things: a smile from the lady at the local clothing store. A hug from a friend. My little goddaughter reaching for me and wanting to give me snuggles. A prayer from someone at church. An apple cupcake with my favorite sort of vanilla frosting. A rainstorm on a day I was off. A conversation with a friend on the phone. A letter from another friend that came on a day that was particularly bad. The smell of the ocean coming from a wax warmer at my desk. An espresso lovingly crafted by my mom. And these were just a few things that came to mind.

Our lives are full of stars if we will only look. But we must look up. That, after all, is where the stars are.

Until next time...

Julia Garcia / Arysta Henry