“I need to get outside!” I grabbed my phone and ran past Tim to go out of the basement door. As I stepped out onto the patio, I saw a streak of light disappear behind a tree. “Are you kidding me?”
I had just caught a glimpse of a shooting star from the Draconid meteor shower. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: “Brooke, you’re such a geek.” Yes, you’re right, but my mom accidentally started my fascination with seeing meteors when I was very young. I can still remember sitting with my family in mamaw and papaw’s carport. From where she sat, Mom had a clear view of the evening sky. Suddenly she pointed and announced: “Look! A falling star.” That terrified me and I began to cry. “Why would God let that happen?” Even at my young age, I loved gazing at the beautiful, twinkling stars. Of course, she explained to me that it wasn’t a real star, but a meteor that was actually a rock from space. It glowed like a star because it was burning up in the atmosphere. From that point on, I peered into the Heavens for my chance to see one.
Recently I wrote an article about how rarely I find four leaf clovers. Well , it’s the same for meteors too. You would think that as much as I love to peer into the sky, I would see the occasional falling star. I didn’t see any myself until I watched the Perseids Meteor shower when I was twelve years old. That August evening, Daddy and I laid out blankets on the front porch. We sat there for hours and watched the meteors zoom across the dark sky. There were times we didn’t see any or an occasional one. Then we should see groups of them at once. I was thrilled when that happened. Little did I know that after that evening, I wouldn’t see another meteor for almost 30 years.
Actually, I saw two of them. There were not only close in time, but in in locations as well. The first one appeared as Tim and I neared the exit for Williamsburg, Kentucky. Our daughter Sara attended college there. We were following her back late one Sunday evening when a bright light in the eastern sky caught my attention. Yep. It was a glowing meteor. It flew over the school and toward our direction. Naturally I yelled: “Look! Look!” Tim was driving and began to panic because he thought I saw a wreck about to happen on the interstate. Let’s just say I learned the hard way to stay calm when I see a meteor while out in a car. A couple of months later on a Sunday evening, we saw another one as we were driving down Jellico Mountain on I-75. This s a few miles from where we saw the first one. This meteor was the biggest and fastest one I had ever seen. Also, it had a green hue in its glow. It was breathtaking.
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2 (KJV)
When I caught a glimpse of the meteor, I was disappointed because I didn’t get to see it in all of its fiery glory. I believe it is the same with The Lord. On this side of Heaven, we can only catch glimpses of the Lord in all of His Holy glory. Personally, I think we Believers long to see all of It. Rest assured, one day we will not just see Him in His Holy glory, but also be like Him as well.
After seeing the glimpse of the falling star, I stood out in the backyard and scanned the dark sky. Tim had the bright idea of us watching from the deck, so we did. It reminded me of that night Dad and I looked from the front porch. Well, except for the fact that Tim and I only saw airplanes and a few bats. That’s okay. I‘ll keep looking up and praying a bird doesn’t fly over me. That’s one breathtaking experience I don’t want.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.