Praise for the Night

"Fireflies, sparks, lightning, stars,
Campfires, the moon, headlights on cars
The Northern Lights and The Milky Way
You can’t see that stuff in the day

When the earth turns its back on the sun
The stars come out and the planets
Start to run around
They call that day is done
But really it’s just getting started
Some folks take comfort in that

How dark is it
It’s too dark for goblins
How dark is it
It’s so dark you can smell the moon
How dark is it
It’s so dark the wind gets lost
How dark is it
It’s so dark the sky’s on fire
How dark is it
It’s so dark you can see Ft. Worth from here...."
Guy Clark, "The Dark"

Praise God for the night. There is something special about nighttime, after everyone has gone to bed, and it's just me, God, a cat swirling around my ankles, and the night sky that goes on forever and ever. It is in these moments when I realize just how big God is, and how small he is too at the same time. It is in this moment that I see God in everything.

I am fortunate where I live. There are no city lights impeding my view of the night sky. You can see millions of stars from where I live. You can see the Milky Way clearly. If you stand out there long enough, you can see several meteors making their way across the sky. It is in this moment that I can talk the most clearly with God. Sometimes I sing to Him. Sometimes I pray outloud, praising Him. Sometimes I just breathe Him in.

At night, the driveway is still warm from the heat it has gathered during the day. I sit cross-legged on the asphalt and allow my old cat to climb into my lap. Usually she is skittish, and won't let anyone pet her. But it's as if she waits for me to come out there for my nightly ritual. And there she is, her small meow reminding me it is time to sit down and allow her into my God time. First she tentatively places a paw on my leg. Then she kneads my thigh like she's a kitten again. Then she cautiously steps into my lap and curls up, burying her head into my stomach and allows me to massage her head while she chirps happily. She's my baby again, as she was 13 years ago.

Thank you God for this safe place you have put me in. Thank you for the starry nightsky you have created, almost as if it were for my enjoyment alone. I praise you and everything you have created, for you are in all of it.