When is the last time you sat under a night sky filled with stars?

There are many times from years past I remember with clarity and gratitude. And maybe a bit of homesickness.

Sitting beside a bonfire under a clear night sky with my brothers and sister. Those bonfires gave our neighbor Mr. K. high indigestion. We built them in the sandbox smack in the middle of our yard.

Moonlit horseback rides as a teen on my trusty buckskin friend.

Walking beside the ocean on vacation with my husband watching moon beams plot a path to the horizon.

I always recall something my mom would say about the stars when I would look up into a night sky.

“You see those stars, Sissy?” Yes, mom, I see those stars. “God has given each one of them a name, and He knows your name, too.”

My teenage daughters knew the routine. If we climbed out of the car on a clear night, I would look up and say, “Do you see all of those stars up in that sky, girls?” “Yes, mom – we know! God has given each of them a name, and He knows our names!”They would laugh and roll their eyes as they paused, looked up, and listened.

They heard my heart. I hoped they would hear some of God’s heart, too. Especially when we went through my cancer journey. If stars couldn’t go missing under the loving watch of the Creator, then perhaps I, and they, wouldn’t go missing from the reach of His care and kindness.

When I thought of mom’s words about the stars, they removed any mystery about how God saw me. I was His child the moment I asked Christ to forgive my sins. The massive universe above was interpreted through the loving words of my mom. God saw me, knew me, and invited me to better know Him. He still does. Every day.

He invites you, too. Are you seeing the stars tonight? You are seen, and known, and yes, God’s great power and mighty strength will hold you, too, safely in place. Have you trusted him through Jesus to lead you safely home?

“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26

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About the writer: Sharon O’Connor is a two-time colon cancer survivor (NED since 2013). Illness, decisions, treatment, and recovery convinced Sharon the only thing stronger than fear is hope. She shares encouraging thoughts and experiences from her personal healing journey at https://www.hopeaboundscollective.com. Sharon continues following Hope, and watching the sky for stars, gratefully.