I saw a shooting star the other day. I don't see them often. Over the course of my life, spotting shooting stars has had special significance for me. I’ve often seen it as a signal from God. It feels like God’s way of winking at me in a crowded room. God's way of saying:
I’m here for you. Keep on at it. You’re doing great. I’m with you.
Seeing that shooting star reminded me of when I first started spotting those streaks of light in the sky. I was in my late 20s and I was getting friends together to go the beach for Monday night bonfires.
There was a special sort of magic to those nights.
We were reclaiming life as we knew it in the middle of the week. We felt so mischievous having bonfires on a weeknight and defying the cultural norms that fun was meant for the weekends only.
Some of my friends at the time and I had a phrase we used as a battle cry. We would remind each of it prior to hang outs and text it as a reminder to each other throughout the week.
Our battle cry was: “WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN?!”
It was our way of reminding each other that life was unpredictable and beautiful and there was no way of knowing what would happen next. Every so often, it can take your breath away.
I think during a time like COVID-19 it’s important for us to remember that the future has always been unknown. It can feel unsettling to be in a constant state of chaos and not know what will happen next, to feel like this year did not go as we planned it.
We have every right to feel that way. This year dealt us a rough set of cards.
And yet, nothing has changed about the infinite possibility of any given day or moment. Anything can happen. The world is still brimming with potential. Your days are a blank canvas. And you still have the brush.
Paint with the colors that God has given you. Make something beautiful.
And, then share it with the rest of us.
Like a wink across a crowded room or a shooting star on a summer night, we all need reminders that there is someone who is on our side rooting for us.
And, I for one, am rooting for you.