Beyond the Stars
SOME people believe that wishing on a star will make a dream come true. Others think that the stars actually have power over them. And they may think that by reading the horoscopes in the newspaper, they can find out how their day is going to go.
The stars are really beautiful, but they are very far away. They can't really know what you and I are going through here on earth. So it's a good thing that the stars actually don't control us! But there is a very intelligent and good power that does direct us, the stars, everything. Like the stars, you and I have a creator--the One who got the whole universe started. And that one creator is God, divine Spirit.
The Bible speaks in many places about God's creation and tells how much God loves it. One of my favorite places is in the book of Psalms. This is a book of songs about the joy of praising and loving God. But you'll also find verses that tell of God's love and joy in us and in His whole creation. In one place the Psalmist says of God, ``He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names'' (147:4).
I always feel good when I read that. It doesn't mean God is counting material stars, though. God is Spirit, and everything He creates and names is spiritual. But that picture of God knowing the names of billions of stars is the Bible's poetic way of saying that since God can easily keep track of all those stars--know all those ideas individually by name--then He surely can take care of us, too. In other words, God looks after His whole creation and loves every part of it. He loves you and me and knows us
as His beautiful, spiritual ideas.
God doesn't need to have the stars look after us. He's much closer to us than they are. He is Love without limits. He is everywhere. Divine Love is with us wherever we are, loving us and guiding us. So we don't need to read a horoscope to find out who we are or what kind of day we can expect. Each day we can pray to God and expect Him to help us because He loves us.
Prayer isn't a mystery. It's like talking to a friend you really trust, someone who loves you and understands you. Asking God to show you how to be good and to help you feel good is a great way to start each day. And since He has made you to be loved, it's natural to expect goodness in yourself and from other people.
That doesn't mean that on some days it won't be harder to do the right thing than on other days. And it may seem hard not to get in trouble again. That's where God's power comes in. The ``star power'' of the horoscope would leave you stuck in bad behavior or bad luck. But God's power can wipe all that out and help you do better because God is all power, and He is good.
Christ Jesus, who came to teach us about God, showed us that it is never too late to feel God's love. It is also never too late to feel more hopeful, to stop making mistakes, to be more honest or patient. That's because as God's children we're meant to be loving and good. It's part of our ``design,'' just as it's natural for the stars to shine brightly at night. In fact, Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered and founded Christian Science, writes about this idea in her book Science and Health with Key to the Sc riptures. Speaking of how God's creation so beautifully reflects Him, she says, ``The stars make night beautiful, and the leaflet turns naturally towards the light.'' And she continues in the next paragraph, ``In the order of Science, in which the Principle is above what it reflects, all is one grand concord'' (p. 240).
So the next time you're looking up at the stars, take a second to think about how close God is to His creation, His reflection. And then, give yourself a smile because He knows you.
