“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.”

– Og Mandino

Perhaps it’s the time of year that has me wandering outside  after dark and looking for the stars.  Maybe it has something to do with the lingering warmth of the almost-summer days that frees us from the need to find a sweater or even slip on shoes before enjoying the night.  Maybe the waning moon is bringing the tiny points of light into sharper focus.  Maybe when the sky is darkest, we simply crave some light.

The days have been hot and sultry ones, the kind of days that send me scurrying for shade after a short time working under the sun.  Being bathed in the light and warmth is a wonderful feeling, and the plants in my garden seem to stretch a little farther each day as they try to touch the source; but too much of a good thing would leave all of us wilted without a break for some cooling water.  The light of the sun brings such joy and color and growth to our lives that sometimes we simply need to step back for a minute and find shelter from the intensity of its power.

For this, we are given the nights of almost-summer.  Wherever we walk, our feet leave behind some dry spots in the dewy grass.  The aroma of Spring hangs in the nighttime air; and as colors of the day fade into the gray of night, we breathe in the subtle perfume of the season of renewal and life.  It would make sense just to close our eyes and breathe in the cool respite from the heat of the day.  Instead, we turn our eyes toward the heavens and search the sky for the many tiny points of light that pulse and shine and challenge the darkness.

At times like these, I think of my own small existence as a microscopic speck in an infinite universe.  I realize how small I am when the hugeness of the sun bathes me in its heat and light and power; but I realize how important each tiny point of light is when I gaze at the million suns that poke holes in the darkness of the night.  It is under the starry night that I marvel at the fact that each of us, no matter how tiny, has been created out of the darkness and filled with the Light.  Just as the sun helps us understand the infinite power of the Source of Light, the night sky and its stars teach us about our own light — the light we can bring to the world around us.

I love the sun, just as I love the Light that is around me and in me and creates all that is woven to be the wonder of existence.  I love each star, because they call me to see the light that each of us carries as our birthright.  It is the light within us that binds us all together.  It is the light we allow to shine that will illuminate our lives and light our paths through the world.  Take my hand, and let’s dance together in the light.