Lightening My Load

Tonight, I was having dinner with a friend and something hit me.

Okay, it wasn't an epiphany or anything, it was just another in long line of self-obsessed analysis of my own inner workings. What was mildly divergent about this was that I came across it whilst in the middle of a most excellent conversation about, among other things, someone else!

So by now, you all realize that under the facade of generousity and guilelessness I remain a steaming pile of egomaniacal eccentricity. Or at least you should realize it. If you haven't you should either wait awhile or hang out with me more often.

In any case, this friend was honoring me with insights into their experiences and a dialog on world-views. And pop, there goes a spectacularly clear perception about none other than yours truly!

You would think by now that I would have learned to constrain my moments of self-reflection and enlightenment to those periods when, say, I'm not in the middle of a conversation that isn't about me? Perhaps that is just so rare an event these days, that my inner monologue decided it wasn't in the mood to wait. In either case, no sooner had I realized this new perception of myself, when off my mind goes wondering why on earth would my mind choose this moment for such diversions?

To be clear, one cannot fault the company or the conversation in the slightest. I remain solely to blame for the mental failure. Needless to say, I put the immediate kibosh on my fickle mind and focused more resolutely on my companion.

The evening then progressed and much merriment was made by all. Skip to drive home...

In the car driving home I was zooming across the pitch-black desert and across the sky the streaks of lightening just crackled and crashed. Whole sections of night sky would light up and freeze momentarily like a huge camera was suddenly snapping a photo. The only thing I could think was a Psalm "The spacious heavens declare the glory of our God. The firmament displays his handiwork abroad."

Even in the dark of night, the heavens never cease to shout His fame. When I can't see past my own self to the wonder He has made, the night sky lights up of its own accord to ensure I pause and offer my praise.