How Bright Are The Stars At Night
I love social media! It is fun to spend time scrolling through photos and videos of the people I know or follow. I find lots of style inspiration, and Joe finds lots of recipes he shares with me. It is also a great way to keep up with what your friends and loved ones are doing. I love it when my kids share photos of the grandbabies since I don’t live close by. But there is a dark side to social media.
It is called the highlight reel. That is when we share the items of our lives we want to highlight. For example, your child being on the honor roll or being chosen to be in the gifted program would be a highlight. Another highlight would be the birth of a new grandchild or that one of your children got married.
One of the highlights I love seeing is when a couple is celebrating an anniversary. Marriage can be hard, so seeing someone celebrating their 50th anniversary is inspiring.
So, you might ask, why would the highlight reel be the dark side of social media? The reason is, the highlight reel doesn’t show the struggles or the failures. You rarely see a post from a parent saying their child brought home a D on their report card. It never hits social media when a child has so much anxiety over grades that they are in tears and shut down from the pressure.
Seeing a couple celebrating an anniversary can be hard if your spouse has passed away. That could cause you pain. Also, the highlight reel wouldn’t show you their fights and arguments, the infidelity that almost tore them apart, or that they rarely talk anymore.
Sharing highlights is not a bad thing; it is usually the way we remember our lives. Everyone has periods of time when life is good, and you want to shout it from the rooftops. But when things aren’t going your way, you don’t need to compare yourself to others.
Tonight, when it gets dark, I want you to walk outside. Look up into the darkness and notice the moon and stars. You’ll probably see a few stars and marvel at their beauty. But keep looking. In a few minutes, you’ll notice a few more stars shining that you didn’t notice before. But keep looking. The longer you stand there, the more stars will be visible.
My point is that all of them are stars. Some might shine brighter than others, but each of them is still a star. None of them are like the others, and they are beautiful and majestic-just like you.
We are all unique. The Lord created every one of us to be different, and no two of us are alike. Each one has different strengths, different likes, and different qualities that make us stars in our own right. Some people have an inner light that makes them shine brighter than others. Some are quiet, and you might not notice their light until you keep looking and watching. Their beauty might take longer to see, but it is still there.
Psalm 139:13–14 NIV
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
You are the only one of you, and that is the beauty. Celebrate the person that the Lord created. He is a wonderful artist and creator. Be the star that He created, and let your light shine for all to see.
To GOD Goes The Glory!
Have A Blessed Day!
Amen❤️
Thank you for the stars article. Absolutely beautiful to read and so well written.
Now if it cud only spread around the world for everyone to read.Joann
Thank you for pointing out that dark side. I have noticed some friends ghosted me when I posted about the recent loss of our son. It’s just so easy to overlook the sadness, and sometimes there are no words.
Mary Carol, I think people don’t know what to say, and that makes them feel uncomfortable.
What a lovely post, Tania. Such a great reminder that we are unique, purposeful creations of God. Have a great day!
Truth. Comparison is a root of discontentment. A great reminder with the stars in the night sky!
Beautifully said. I will be looking at stars tonight!
That’s lovely, Tania. Going outside right now to look at the stars. God Bless.
well said!
I am not on social media. My kids live nearby so I don’t need it. I’m a private person and I’m just not interested. Good post.
Beautiful analogy!
Beautifully said, Tania! God is so good!!
I love this so much!!
This post brought me to tears. Oh how true! I have had my fair share of ups and downs BUT it is very hard for me when someone puts me down for my happiness. I love the little things in life and the stars are one of those magical enjoyments. THANK YOU!!! Lynn 🙂
Psalm 139 is my absolute favorite Psalm. I have requested it to be ready at my memorial service if the Lord tarries that long.
Beautiful and thoughtful🩷
Well said! Internet / social media can put me in a dark place if I focus on it too much
What a beautiful way of looking at the stars bright and not so bright.
Thank you for your sparkled outlook.
Loved your message today! So very true about social media…. I am not on any of it except Pinterest. My daughters really enjoy Instagram.
Social media is a great way to keep up with family and friends, so it has its place.
What a wonderful reminder. I love reading your posts, seeing the pictures, too, but I am always so inspired by your writings.
Thank you so true. My husband and I just had a conversation about this last night. How some of the most prolific social media posters are the most unhappy people we know. It’s like they are too worried about posting and not living life and seeing God’s beauty in the world. We need to appreciate and experience the true highs and lows snd each other.
That’s true, Chris. I’ve seen people so interested in getting the photos, that they don’t enjoy the moment. On the other hand, I get mad at myself for enjoying the moment so much that I don’t take any photos. Lol!
Great things to remember! Good analogy.⭐️
Well said Tania!
Beautiful message Tania.
God bless, keep shining for Jesus!
Good reminder that it’s what is on the inside that develops our character — not just the frosting on the outside that others see.
what a lovely message today. thank you. 🩵
I have family members that are not on Social Media, they are very private people. I respect that and understand. Too much is like an addiction. We were so fortunate to grow up when there was no Social Media, today’s youth are being molded by what they view. Was Jesus the first Influencer? Probably has more followers than any other Influencer.
He was the first influencer. I wrote a post on that years ago. Lol!
So well said!!! It is so important that we do not compare ourselves to others…only the shiny stuff gets on peoples SM…Thank you another perfect Sunday post!!! Have a great day🙏❤🙏
Fabulous message! Thanks
Beautiful. ❤️
Wonderful post! Even with the lows there’s always something to celebrate and be thankful for in our lives. My late mother used to say ‘always be thankful, look around, there is always someone who have harder lives than ourselves.’ How true.. She said this during her cancer treatment, I thought of it myself during mine after she was gone. But not only in health, with wealth, happiness, whatever the case.
Very inspirational Tanya. Thank you and happy Sunday
Thank you for this message and reminder!
Love your posts but especially your Sunday posts. I am an elementary librarian and teach digital citizenship to my 4th-6th graders. We talk a lot about the positive and negative about social media. Many of them compare their lives to those of their friends (what they see online). I am so glad I grew up in a time where social media did not exist!
I know social media can be difficult for children. Growing up is hard, even when we were young.
Great analogy! I feel the same about mass produced form letters at Christmas. They seem to make the family so perfect that they become ungenuine (if that’s a word). I’m not sure of the intent and in my humble opinion, a simple heartfelt note is always more sincere. We ARE all unique stars in our way, and these form letters kind of make a mockery of it.
Right message at the right time. We all need reminders. Keep shining brightly!
When nighttime sleep evades me, I should go outdoors and look for those shining stars! Terrific Sunday reading, Tania!
My favorite post – thank you, Tania!
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m glad you liked it.
So so true! I love looking up at the moon and stars at night, one of my favorite things to do. Please tell Joe to start a blog and share the recipes!
Joan, Joe starting a blog made me laugh. Lol!
Thank you for all that you put into these Sunday posts.
Hope you have a wonderful day.
Beautiful post Tania I read it not once but twice I too enjoy finding recipes and you’re right. God has made us all different, but we all shine in his eyes. We need to remember to encourage our children and our grandchildren to move forward and to always keep our heavenly Father and his beloved son Jesus Christ in our lives We have so much to be thankful for more than we deserve . God bless you and your family
I absolutely loved this post!
So very true! We just came off a family visit which was mostly wonderful. I was going to post some pics and stopped. I asked myself why am I sharing this time of my life? Just something to think about. Good Sunday post as always, Tania!
Penny Jo, I’m sure there are family members who would love to see your photos.
This message was right on the mark! People usually never post about the “lows” in their lives on social media. But we all face struggles and concerns in our lives.
It is true, Lorie. But, who wants to see the messy stuff?
I love that – knit together in my mother’s womb. I live in a remote desert town and even though we have a few street lights, you only have to go about a mile away and the sky puts on an amazing light show. The Milky Way tells our aboriginals when the emus lay their eggs as at certain times of the year, you really can see a stretched out emu in amongst the stars. In a world of temporary and plastic, God’s natural world calms and renews and reminds us that we are uniquely created in a world which gives us everything we need. Just as you say – celebrate and be.
Nicely said this morning
Tania, you are a gifted writer and have a way of drawing us in to your thoughts. I love all your posts but the Sunday ones are most special. I find myself re-reading them throughout the week. God bless you.
Thank you , Karen. My Sunday posts are special to me. Although, they are also the ones I stress about.
This is spot on and really hits home. Thank you, Tania!
You too! I like that one and it’s so true! We all are stars. Enjoy your day!
Love this post. Great analogy and reminds us to look for the good in all people.
Wonderful devotion today.
Love this Tanya. Thank you.
Beautifully said. All too often we get caught up in the comparison game but as you pointed out, we all shine just in different ways. Have a blessed day.
Love your Sunday posts, but I particularly like this one! Thanks, Tanya!
Thanks, Pat. I doing myself composing myself to others, and realized it was not the thing to do.
Such a beautiful post. Thank you.
God Bless.
I look forward to your Sunday posts!
This is so true. We have to decide if the dark side outweighs the good. Young children don’t have the spiritual maturity to see the dark side. That’s where mature parenting is so important
Love this post!
Came at a time when I really needed it. Social media has really changed us all. It’s so difficult to not compare ourselves to others. The bright star 🌟 analogy is perfect.
Thank you
Your words were beautifully written & so heartfelt. Very meaningful & true. I appreciate the woman you are inside as much as your artistic style. Your words will touch many.
Georgia, that is so sweet.
What a beautiful message this morning! Thank you for reminding us how God has made us all so unique and special.
Thank you for sharing your insights. I look forward to the scripture you share.