"I Just Like Looking at the Stars"

Kyle and I decided it would be cool to go to the movies on Christmas day to see the last of The Hobbit trilogy. We were not disappointed but this post is not a movie review but rather what happened after the movie. As we were leaving the theater I got in the car and Kyle (along with a few other good people) stopped a young kid no older than 18 driving a ford truck away from the parked car that he has just hit. It wasn't a major collision but enough to damage the front of the car and he was ready to just drive away! Kyle had told him the right thing to do and whether of not he was going to do it was up to him. Kyle and I waited to see what he would do next. We saw him run inside the theater, talk to an employee, return to his car and drive away. We had already called the police to give his information and they had asked us to wait by the damaged parked car so we did. 

Now I was tired. The movie was 2 1/2 hours, it started at 10:30 and at this point in time, after all the waiting of watching this immature kid make poor decisions on how to handle this situation, I could have easily been so crabby and mad and tired, but it was such a nice opportunity just to look up. We waited a good 20 minutes for the officer to arrive and while we were waiting, the parking lot lights had turned off and I just stopped and stared at the stars. Oh my goodness how bright they were. I couldn't help myself but to tell Kyle "wow look at how twinkly the stars are". Stupid sounding, I know, but I was tired and couldn't think of a synonym for "twinkly". I then began to recall my astronomy class in high school and pointed out Orion's belt, Kyle made a Men in Black comment (the cat in the movie was called Orion) then we sat back and Kyle opened up the sunroof and we just starred at the stars (for a short time cause it was quite cold). 

It was such a simple gesture but that small action was so loving and opened up such a sweet conversation.  

"I just like looking at the stars thinking about how they're billions of miles away. Heard someone call it pinholes to heaven once. Makes you feel pretty insignificant in life."- Emily

"Yeah I was interested in looking up information about our galaxy and black holes. They're pretty cool to read about. It's weird to think about us here on this small planet, moving in a universe." -Kyle

We were in a movie theater parking lot, trying to do the right thing for someone and it turned into a wonderful time together. We could have easily drove home, said nothing, called no one, gone to bed and not be affected by it at all. Instead we appreciated the time together, we looked up and appreciated God's work. When the cop showed up and Kyle got out and wrote a statement, I continued to look up and started praying thinking about the God of the Universe and His infinite power and artistry in the sky. I remember people saying "why would God make all the universes and solar systems" and the best answer is if you're an artist, do you paint just to give to others or do you sometimes use your talent for yourself and your own pleasure? That's what God did, created a universe for his own glory and power. Looking out into the sky made me feel really small...but in a good way! We should be reminded daily that our problems are not real problems in comparison to how big the world is. We need to just enjoy the time we have together with each other, stop in our busy, hectic lives, and just look up at the beauty of our small world.

I have to admit, it was such a beautiful way to end our simple Christmas. I am thankful for the man I married that we can just stop and look at the stars together.