paint the sky with stars

i took an astronomy class during one of my many stints at college. it is by far my favorite class. ever. i learned not only to identify constellations, but to love the night sky and all of the infinite bits of wisdom and knowledge you can get from studying it and tracking its patterns.

i especially love nights like tonight, where the sky creates a perfect inky black dome above your head. it's so easy to be grateful, amazed, and humbled on nights like this. it is hard for me to come inside after spotting a sky like this one. all i want to do is lay under it and ponder until the sun disturbs my thoughts. i love to stare at the stars especially. my mind wanders as i look at the sky--i never stay on one subject too long. first, i might contemplate the age of the stars and sky. then, maybe i'll move onto spiritual things. maybe hit the subject of life. who knows what else. the only constant is that i think. 

after studying it long enough, you begin to see the canvas of the Lord in the sky. cassiopeia-mother of andromeda; chained to her throne in the heavens. orion the hunter with his loyal dogs. draco, the great dragon. the phoenix, soaring through the skies and leo, the great lion of the heavens. ursa major and minor (or the big and little dipper) which are key to locating polaris-the north star.

the ancient people of our world used the stars as a connection to their deity and a means of survival. by knowing intimately the skies, they were able to place themselves in the larger world. they were able to give their communities place and purpose, but also to navigate vast continents. thus, they were able to expand and grow, to visit faraway places, but be able to return to the comforts of home once more.

my sister took a picture of some of my cousins over memorial day weekend. when i look at it, i see two girls running through a field. my peripheral vision misses a third on the right, and my mind completely blocks out the head of a dog, sticking up through the grasses between the girls. i can't help but think this is the result of my mind being conditioned to block out these simple details. as soon as you show the same picture to one of the kids, their first remark is-without fail-about the dog.

the same is true about many things in our modern world--they are easily blocked out; whether by minds that long-ago determined them useless, or the noise and clutter that permeates our world. many of life's simplest pleasures have been lost to the clutter. navigating with the use of polaris is no longer necessary with gps and perfectly straight and paved roads (complete with infinitely helpful road signs). as a culture, we have begun to worship each other--whether it be our own genius, cunning, or beauty. thus, there is little need for deity in our lives.  there is also little need for divine intervention when we attribute all earthly happenings to a scientific cause.

we discussed in sunday school yesterday the importance of finding quiet and calm to better feel the promptings of the spirit. i think that this need extends also to the mortal world. i feel strogly that the Lord wants us to be educated. he wants us to be lifelong learners, but in the midst of that learning, we cannot allow our minds to block out that which truly matters. it is so easy to slip into the habit of worshiping our own "greatness" rather than the infinite greatness of the Lord.

in 2 nephi 9:28, it says o that cunning plan of the evil one! o the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!  for when they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore their wisdom is foolishness, and it profiteth them not..

i doubt i will ever need to learn to live off the heavens, or even navigate using them, but the fact that i could if need be is awesome. i hope to become a more grateful and aware person by seeking out the quiet, calm moments in life. they give life clarity and direction. the calm moments are harder to come by, but they solidify my place in this world. most importantly, though, they allow me to hear and feel the spirit.