Twinkle, Twinkle, All the Stars

Jasper leaned against a tree trunk, his hands behind his head. He loved the annual family camping trips. This year they'd seen deer when they hiked in the woods. They'd explored the river gorge and found fossils, and they'd climbed some of the rocks. They'd also fished and waded in the river. Jasper sighed with pleasure. "This sure is a cool place!" It was too dark to see, but Jasper could hear the smile in his mom's voice. "You seem to be enjoying yourself in spite of no playgrounds or ice cream shops or TV or video games." "Yeah." Jasper grinned. Late that evening, the family sat contentedly by the smoldering campfire, listening to it crackle and hiss. Crickets chirped, and small creatures scurried by, rustling the leaves. In the background, the river murmured as it flowed over the rocks. "Wow! Just look at all those stars!" Jasper said as he gazed up at the sky. "We sure can't see this many stars at our house. They seem closer to us here than they do at home!" The others laughed. "The stars aren't any closer," Dad told him. "But we're out in the country now, away from all the city lights. When there are a lot of bright lights around, we can't see the light of the fainter stars." "Oh, I get it." Jasper smiled, still looking upward. "I like it here--it's peaceful. It's kind of nice to have it quiet--you can think out here." "That's one of the reasons I like to come here too," said Grandpa. "The glaring lights of the city make it hard to see the stars, and the busyness of everyday demands can make it hard to see how God is working in our lives and blessing us. It's good to get away from the daily routine." Dad nodded. "Yes, but we don't have to go camping in the country to do that. We can take a break from our busy routine each day to spend time with Jesus and concentrate on the truth and promises He shares with us in His Word."Grandpa turned on his flashlight and searched through his duffel bag. "This would be a good time to do that," he said as he pulled out his Bible. "Tonight, let's read together and talk about some things God is telling us." -Sherry L. Kuyt