Quadrantids
It would be best to see around 3:00AM!
Ahhh, would I wake up? It was a pretty cold evening. And then I remembered one night 12 years ago in Siberia. All my life I have longed to see the Northern Lights. Siberia seemed like a pretty good place to catch a glimpse. My Russian interpreter and I asked the hotel clerk if we would be able to see them. He laughed and said it was too late in the year (March), and that it had to be really cold and very specific atmospheric conditions. That day as we visited the orphanage there was a WHITE OUT blizzard! It was 70 degrees BELOW ZERO - those sounded like good conditions to us. Alas, the clerk said it happens really late...
3:00 AM
We went to sleep and set our alarms. When the bell rang we were all snuggled down in the warmth of the room. It was so cold outside the our double-paned glass window was a solid sheet of ice INSIDE. We laid there in the dark and discussed our frigid options. "But what IF they can be seen, and we just don't want to make the effort to look?
We decided to bundle up and brave the Siberian night. The hotel clerk woke up when he heard us bundled bumblers coming down the stairs. He laughed (again) when we said what we were doing. We asked him where to look. He assured us - if they could be seen, there would be no spot in the sky that we didn't see the brilliant display.
We went out, we looked up
No Aurora Borealis. Only a very cold, ink black sky with a zillion stars.
We went back inside, back to the warmth of our Russian wool blankets and steam heat and slept. We were disappointed to be sure, but before we went out, we both agreed that we wanted our Creator to know we were ready, willing and WATCHING. Even if we didn't see the display we knew He knew we were looking for Him.
I set my alarm for 3:00am and bundled up again. It wasn't 70 below zero that night in Dallas, but again I looked up and
nothing.
I live right in the middle of a big city with far too many lights obscuring the night sky to see much of anything past the moon. But by golly, I was willing to look.
Today, I'm setting off for a short drive north of Dallas to a retreat center. Later this evening I'll be joined by over 20 volunteers and 8 of the Wounded Warriors and their families coming up from San Antonio! Tomorrow 15 more local families affected by disabilities will join us for a full day of fun and respite sponsored by Victory Flows and Rejoicing Spirits ministries. We'll close the day with a dance to rival Hollywood's Dancing with the Stars!
I don't know what they're expecting? I was surprised they wanted to drive so far for such a short weekend. But our God is ALWAYS at work. He is always actively pursuing and reaching out for His children. I am praying they "see" the Creators hand of brilliance in every smile, hug, and craft. I'm still eager to see
even that which I cannot see
"Now faith is the belief in things hoped for as yet unseen."
Looking up with a smile
In His service
Charlynn
To help offset the financial costs of the continued work of Sunshine After Rain Ministries, visit our website to make an online tax deductible donation:
