She’s Got it Where it Counts
I'm a bit of a space nerd. (So is our Media Director, in case you haven't already noticed.) I grew up watching reruns of the original Star Trek television series. I saw the first Star Wars movie in the theater. Years later, my friends and I ganged up in a dorm room to watch the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was always thinking about space. What is out there? What possibilities does it hold?
I was home sick from school the day the Challenger exploded in January of 1986. The launches had become so "routine" that they had not been televised, but when something went wrong, CBS broke into The Price is Right and stayed on the rest of the day. Millions of us watched the same footage over and over, hoping for something good, but knowing there was nothing good about the explosion, fire, and spiraling contrails. I still get sick thinking about it.
My Mama shared the love of space. She's the one who got me interested in the original Star Trek series, and she's the one who took me to see Star Wars. The last movie we saw in the theater was one of the newer Star Trek movies. It was in 3D. Mama had a blast, and everyone there knew it. She laughed and gasped and reacted like a kid. I'm so glad we went.
Now, I have an app that lets me know when the International Space Station "flies" overhead. Yep. There's an app for that. I can set alarms, and it lets me know five minutes before the ISS travels over my house. It is amazing to me, and it brings back some of my childhood wonder of space. I wave every time. Yep. Every time. Even though all I see is what looks like a very bright star moving quickly across the heavens, I wave and usually tell the astronauts hello.
So, today, when I saw a headline about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, I hurriedly clicked on it. It contains some fantastic pictures of what the rocket looked like in January and what it looks like now, after eight missions. (Here’s the article.) The "before" picture shows a gleaming white rocket emblazoned with an American flag and the SpaceX logo. It points to the sky, evoking enthusiasm and excitement. The "after" picture shows the same rocket, no longer white. It is dingy and blotchy from the heat, and its skin is covered with gashes and scars. Yet, it still stands tall and points to the heavens. What that picture evokes in me is pride and respect. This rocket was built well, it has carried out many missions, and it is ready to go again.
I'll bet you are that way.
You probably started as an excited Christian, pointing to Heaven and ready to take on the world. But now, no matter how long you have served the Lord, you probably have some scratches. You've suffered the heat from walking through fires, and yet you still point to the sky. You know where your help comes from! It comes from the Lord, and He made the earth you walk on and the heavens you are looking toward. No matter what you have walked through, or what you are walking through right now, someone is looking at you with respect. You are an encouragement just for standing tall and ready for the next mission.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.Psalm 121:1,2
One of the comments posted on the Falcon 9 article contained a quote from that first Star Wars movie I talked about above. The poster said, "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid." Han Solo was talking about his ship, and the quote applies to the Falcon 9, as well. Does it also apply to you? You may doubt that you look like much. You may see yourself as barely holding things together. However, the fact that you are allowing God to hold those things together for you means that you have it where it counts. You know that God is on the throne and that He is where your help comes from. Maybe you share that with others. Maybe you let those around you know how much you rely on the Lord. You've got it where it counts.
Just like space, much of our future is unknown. The same things I wonder about space, we can ask about the future: What is out there? What possibilities does it hold? Remember that God created you well. You are strong, and you were built for this. Hold your head up and look to the Lord. He knows that you have it where it counts — your faith.
