The starlit night

Yesterday, we had a short blackout.  So we lit the candles and pretended we were living in the olden days. It was pitch black outside. We heard the neighbours calling to each other from their porches.  Then we went outside, just to see what was happening.  What was happening, was that the black velvety sky was studded with the brightest, most luminous, most sparkling stars I've ever seen in my life, probably hundreds of stars.  It was out of this world beautiful.  Sometimes, modernity does blind us to what is right there in front of our eyes. My oldest was still awake at the time and feeling nervous in the dark, kept following us around, so he too ended up on the porch.  Then, thankfully, the lights went back on inside and the ones in the skies faded once again into the background.  But I couldn't help thinking, that moments like this, especially from one's childhood, one remembers for the rest of one's life.   It also got me thinking, how this experience was very much reminiscent of the times we find ourselves in.  On one hand, it is dark out there, very dark, one could almost feel the storm brewing (hopefully it will pass).  But on the other hand, our lives are filled with starlight, all the more brilliant because of the darkness that envelopes us.  On one hand, one hears the drums of war beating, almost everyday, in one way or another.  On the other hand, each day brings untold gifts, love and insight, little reminders from Above, of Who is in charge and how things are trully in His hands alone.  He told our forefather, Avraham, that he was above those brilliant stars, beyond the dire predications, beyond the mundane world, that he had nothing to fear from the stars or those that followed their paths to divine the future.  The One who made the stars is not bound by them and neither are His people as long as they follow Him and the path He chose for them.   So I will treasure this memory  and hopefully, so will my son, of this special night and all it represents.