We were watching a Christmas movie set in a winery in Lagrange, Georgia. The family in the movie finished dinner, grabbed a blanket and some hot chocolate, and invited their guest to join them in one of their favorite traditions. On December 21st each year, they sat outside and watched the meteor shower. I Googled meteor shower and yes, the Ursid meteor shower takes place near Winter Solstice each year. This year’s peak viewing would be on December 21st. After the movie, we stepped outside to look. We still had one night to go before peak, but the night was cold and clear. Even though we didn’t see any definite meteors, the night was gorgeous. We saw what looked like thousands of stars in the universe.
Next night was peak visibility and even with the half-moon and the city lights we could again see thousands of stars. And while we saw hints of what might be meteors, we still saw nothing definite until suddenly about 11:30 a brilliant meteor shot across the sky. It was one of the most spectacular ones I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t do anything but gasp and point, watching it burn across the heavens above us. Some say that around 10 pm a piece of satellite debris burned up in our atmosphere and was visible, but this was an hour and a half later so I’m not sure if we saw space debris or meteor. Whatever the case, the stars in the universe were amazing, shining brightly above us. I was content to stand and gaze upward out in the cold night air.
Paul, the apostle, wrote a letter to encourage the people of Philippi about 2000 years ago. They were living in difficult times. Paul was writing them from jail. He wanted to tell them he was proud of them. They were doing good things, showing kindness to others, living well. “…you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life,” he told them. He was eager to boast about them, writing like a father, teacher, mentor because not only were they shining like stars–doing good things, showing kindness to others, living well–but they were holding out “the word of life.” More than just meeting physical needs, they were meeting spiritual needs as well.
If Paul were alive today, I believe we have some stars in our area that he would commend for the same reasons. One of those stars in the universe is Mercy Medical Ministry & Clinic. Mercy Medical states that their mission is to share “the love of Jesus Christ and His good news of hope by providing quality, compassionate medical care to those without health insurance.” Not only do they meet the medical needs of their patients, they provide “spiritual encouragement and connection to resources in the community.”
Founded in 2000 by Dr. Dell Crosby, their volunteers include medical providers, pre-professional health students, and spiritual encouragers, “Giving care to those in need.” According to their website, Mercy Medical accepts donations and volunteers and in 2023, almost 3000 patients received medical care. They are one of the stars in the universe, holding out the word of life. You can go to mercymedicalministry.org for more information.
A second star is Big House Foundation. Two college students, impacted by their own family’s foster care experience had a dream to “positively impact the world of foster care.” Starting in a donated space in 2009, they have grown into a brand-new facility of their own. Here, kids play on their playground and have a place “like a home” while their foster parents have time to talk and share the challenges and joys of foster care. Big House also provides “New-to-care” bags and things like pajamas to “restore dignity” during the first 24 hours of care. They hope to show the kids that “they’re valued” “even in a difficult time.”
On the video on their website, Micah Melnick says, “The mission of Big House is to connect the needs of foster and adoptive families with the generosity of the community through the love of Jesus Christ.” Doing good things, showing kindness to others, living well. Big House is one of those stars in the universe. For more information go to ourbighouse.org.
Standing under the stars on a cold winter night in December left me in awe of the wonder of creation and the One who created it. Seeing the work of organizations like Mercy Medical Ministry & Clinic and Big House Foundation leaves me in awe of those who have the vision and the compassion to minister to others in a way that makes a meaningful impact on those in vulnerable situations in our community.
As the new year begins, what better way to do something worthwhile with the time and resources given me than to partner with one of the many stars in the universe in our local community? What better way to involve our family in doing good things, showing kindness to others, and living well than to volunteer and donate together? These are only two examples. Like those thousands of stars on a cold winter night, there are many other opportunities in our area. All we have to do is look.
May you experience the joy of shining like stars in the universe in the new year.
Blessings!
