By Doug Creamer

Every August, I head outside late at night to watch the sky in hopes of seeing some meteors. August is the time for the Perseid meteor showers. They tend to last for over a week, with one or two peak nights. I have a folding chair that almost reclines, and I take that out to a dark place in my yard and watch the sky for a magical show.

This annual tradition all began over forty years ago. My sister was a lifeguard on the Outer Banks and worked for the National Park Service. She invited me to come and stay for a few nights with her. She would work all day guarding and I would hang out at the beach. After work we would eat dinner and then always did something fun.

One night as I was heading to bed she told me about the meteor shower that night. She said she was getting up in the middle of the night to go out and watch them and asked if I wanted to go out with her. Sometime in the middle of the night she woke me up and we went out and laid on the picnic table to watch for meteors.

When I looked up I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Where did all those stars come from? I had never seen that many stars in all my life. It was absolutely beautiful. Then the meteors started to fall. We were having a great time watching nature put on a fantastic show. Then straight overhead a meteor hit the atmosphere that lit up the night sky. It was a pure bright light that lasted for only a second or two. We both exclaimed, “Wow!” at the same time. It was spectacular! It left a trail in the night sky that lasted for over a minute. We were both so excited to see such an incredibly beautiful sight.

I have gone out every year since, hoping that I might see something like that again. I have been lucky enough to see a few small fireballs through the years. I have also seen one huge fireball on a different night that was seen from several states. But the memory of that one night with my sister has kept me looking up every August in hopes of seeing something special once again. I love getting someplace where it is dark, especially at the beach, where I can look up at God’s wondrous creation and admire its beauty.

The darker you can get your surroundings, the more you can see and appreciate the beauty of His heavenly creations. In the darkness, the slightest light can shine brightly. This is something we need to apply to our spiritual lives. God has placed His light in our spirits and we have the responsibility to let that light shine in the darkness.

Many people live their lives walking around in spiritual darkness. They are hopeless. They are trapped in their sinful lives. They don’t know any way out or any different way of life. They are lost and in need of a savior.

That’s where we come into the equation. God has put His light in our hearts to be a beacon of hope to those who don’t know His love and forgiveness. Our job is to share the light so they can discover God’s love, mercy and hope. People who are stuck in their sin don’t realize that God has a plan for their freedom, and better yet, a plan for their future.

God’s plan includes breaking their chains of sin and hopelessness. He wants them to experience complete forgiveness and total acceptance. He wants to exchange their anxiety and depression for His joy and peace. He wants them to stop feeling abandoned and join the family of God. He wants to change their destination from being separated from God to heaven where they will know His love and care for all eternity.

I want to encourage you to let your light shine in this dark world. Boldly share your faith and the reason for your hope. Let those who are walking in darkness know that they can experience God’s unconditional love right here, right now. He wants to guide them into a life of fulfillment and peace. It’s available to them today if they will only open their hearts to receive God’s love and forgiveness. You can be the light that can lead people to God’s love. So let your light shine as a testimony of God’s love. Let your light offer hope to all who will come.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com.