“What is gonna happen next?” she says to the silence, and she lays back falling asleep on the stroke. Day dissolves, night arises while she dreams on. The pungent smell of cool, wet night fills her nostrils, and she opens her eyes. She is looking up into the bejeweled sky, cool and dark with twinkling, blinking pinpoints of light smiling down on her. This makes her happy. She wonders which is a planet and which is a star. She cannot tell the difference. Perhaps she should have paid more attention in science.

I wondered why we are all so enamored with stars. What is it about stars? They are used to describe the pinnacle of success: we can be the star of the show, the star of the moment, the star in our field. Hollywood is full of stars – movie stars – who are often honored with a star on Hollywood Blvd. According to cartoonists, we see stars when we are dizzy. Is that because when we stare into the sky, we can feel dizzy? We speak of reaching for the stars in analogy for lofty goals. Stretching far beyond sight are the stars. Sometimes we even thank our lucky stars. They are a symbol of awesome.

Stars are awesome in the true sense of inspiring awe. Stars are something that make us feel the size of the universe, and like there is something larger than this planet that we live.

I found it curious that the Bible refers to stars quite frequently, but only a couple times to any planet and then it’s mostly talks of the moon and earth. The Lord cares even about the stars that he has created. “He counts the number of stars; He gives names to all of them” (Isaiah 147:4-4). I find that truly amazing. He knows every star that is in the universe, and they are no where near as important as we are. I think that is why we want to be stars. To know we are named, and perhaps remembered.

I have to admit, I have never been too interested in outer space, or the stars, but if God thinks they are important, I can at least appreciate them for their beauty.