August 13 – “Night of the meteors”

So has anyone around Galveston seen any of this fantastic array of comets that are supposed to be exploding into our night sky at an alarming rate?  I heard it was the most amazing and rare experience ever.  So much so that you didn’t even really have to focus on any particular area of the night sky – just lie down and look up, and you’re guaranteed to see the fireworks.  It sure sounded like a fabulous way to celebrate a birthday (mine and Chris’), so we checked it out.  Three times so far.

We first made our way to the deck in the dark around ten p.m. two nights ago.  Sadly, on that occasion the skies were completely cloudy.  No chance of seeing stationary stars, must less moving ones.  Then last night we plodded up there again, around 9:30 this time.  Last night was touted as the best time to see them.  Well, actually 2 a.m. was supposed to be the best time, but you take what you can get, right?  Well, I actually saw one.  A brief but brilliant flame out across a tiny portion of the sky.  Chris saw a few more, but that one was the limit of my sightings.  I even tried the “down on my back looking up” stance (that’s gotta be a yoga move), but only the one graced my field of vision.  Now one thing that yoga position did do for me … it made me even sleepier than I already was.  We retired to the count sheep instead of shooting stars.

That is until I was awakened by a two-fold difficulty, both becoming all-too common in my life.  I had to go to the bathroom, for one.  And my back was killing me.  That sharp, piercing pain upon movement.  It was like an internal alarm clock was insisting I pay attention … now.  As I began my slow roll out of the bed I noticed the clock.  1:58 a.m.  Wait a minute.  Two minutes away from the prime viewing time for the greatest meteor shower in the history of the world?  Back pain or not, I had to give this one a go.  I was going to sneak in and wake Chris up and very romantically invite her to join me for a scandalous late-night rendezvous on the deck.  It was going well until I kicked a chair in the office (hey, it was dark) and woke her up with a start.  She still agreed to join me, though, so we made our way upstairs to gaze at the stars and experience the event of a lifetime.  Except we didn’t.  Oh, we made it to the deck just fine.  And we did our share of sky-gazing.  But meteors?  Shooting stars?  Nope.  We did see the lightning accompanying the approaching thunderstorm, though, and we appreciated the fact that we had some hope of rain soon.  As romantic interludes go, this one was not really something to write a book about.  It was nice to be together.  And I really appreciated the hot pack and pain medication she handed me as I made my way back to bed.  What a gal, right?

Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Father, thank you for the few meteors we did see.  Thank you more for the few stolen minutes together on the deck.  Amen.