Night Lights

It’s one of those days when I’m anxious to see things from a different angle. Travel will do that to a person.

Headstand?

Hmmm … I think not.

Mountaintop?

Maybe.

Do you ever have one of those days?

I feel like shakin’ things up,

spinning around, gigglin’ a little.

Maybe look at my life through a magnifying glass,

or a telescope …

Maybe a kaleidoscope?

A fresh perspective; that’s what I’m wanting.

It’s easy to get stodgy, despite our best intentions.

While I’m busy worrying about the chemicals in our food supply, I forget to savor the gift of nourishment.

Have I planted myself so firmly in my beliefs and opinions that I’ve lost sight of the big picture?

It’s easy to fret about the future of the planet, and then forget to appreciate the miracle of being here.

Time for a wake-up call,

A shake-up call.

Ask, and ye shall receive …

Satellite photo of North America’s night lights, courtesy of NOAA.

This dazzling photo, taken from space, illuminates something about civilization that stirs me. I find myself seeing my homeland, my people, from a brand new perspective—somewhere up among the stars—and it reaffirms my sense of connectivity to, well, everyone.

Yes, it’s a birds-eye glimpse of too many bulbs burning, but there’s no denying the bright, colorful beauty of this sparkling scene. If I look at it without cynicism, I see a glowing beacon at the end of a dark and lonely road. I see porch lights abuzz with late-summer moths. There are softly lit stained glass windows in quiet churches, and flashlights ablaze beneath the blankets of little readers who are supposed to be asleep.

I see humanity, and it lights the chambers of my heart.

Perspective is everything.