The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.” ~ Corinthians 15:41

One of the pleasures of being an author is the encounters and conversations I have with other book enthusiasts and other authors. I recently participated in an Author Showcase at Perry Hall branch of Baltimore County Library. A nine year old boy, a fourth grader, approached my display with his Dad. I asked him if he’d come to the library just to see the author showcase. “No,” he said, “I came to get a book” and he held out the book he had checked out for loan. It was age appropriately written for youth about Copernicus. The conversation so quickly led to his interests which included astronomy, engineering, science, math. He was without doubt a child wise and learned beyond his years. But the most beautiful thing was how evident it was from our conversation that his Dad was very quietly and thoughtfully introducing his son, who had a very bright mind, to a multitude of experiences which will foster and support his development. I knew after visiting with this young boy, he will probably be among the stars in his generation. I did not take his photo or get his name, instead, I just enjoyed our conversation.

As serendipity would have it, the next day when I attended Sunday service at Bel Air United Methodist Church, there was a guest singer, named Ian who played the piano and sang the lyrics of Stars from the Broadway musical Les Mis. Ian’s voice was magnificent and the images of the Universe, captured by the Webb telescope, projected on a big screen were astonishing.

This has left me pondering, how many stars of God’s creation are there out in the Universe that no one yet even knows about? Someday we might see their bright light in unexpected ways we hadn’t even considered.