A dear friend once asked me “Do you ever look up at Orion and just know that everything will be alright?” It seems nearly every time I look up and see this beautiful constellation I now ask myself that question… It somehow makes me feel so incredibly small in this vast universe, and at times I have found myself truly wondering if everything will be alright. But there I stand in the darkness looking up at the stars so far away and I am humbled when I realize that the One who has held that constellation and every other star in its place since the beginning of time, also holds my heart. That the God who spoke all of creation in to being, also speaks to me. The One who knows every drop in the ocean, also knows every worry and care that I have ever had. The God that pushed up the highest mountain, and dug the deepest valley, is the same God that breathed the breath of life in to my very lungs. The God of the whole universe cares so deeply, that He calls me His child and allows me to call Him Father! If I am being completely honest, I often wonder why... Why would a God that majestic care for someone like me? I clearly don’t deserve His grace and love that He pours out so graciously on me. I think of the verses in Psalms 144 where it says “Lord, what is man that you take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that you are mindful of him?” Who are we that God desires a relationship with us? Truth is, I don’t deserve it. I never have. Never will. But, He absolutely wants to fellowship and be in relation with us. In fact, that is the basis of our existence. His love for us is so deep, that His Only Son came to die for our sins. Not because He had to, but because He chose to, and because He loves us. The choice we now have is how will we respond to His love. Who are we to deny God’s grace and mercy towards us? We should realize that the greatest thing we can do to thank Him, is to offer our lives and our whole heart to His service. We will never be able to repay Him for His sacrifice, but all He asks us for is our love and our obedience. As the world loads us down with worries and stress, and the devil is constantly screaming lies to us, we must come back to the core truth of His love. I won’t pretend that I always understand it, but I take rest in the promise that I KNOW that the one who holds the stars in place, also holds my heart. And because of that, I trust that everything will be alright…