The sight of the stars...

"For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream"

~Van Gogh~

This takes on a whole new meaning here in Muyenzi. I have come to accept the fact that, yes, I do in fact live in the bush. Most days this means I do not have electricity, nor does anyone have electricity for miles. But some days, I am reminded that what this really means is that the night sky is the most beautiful, awe-inspiring, wonderful thing to witness every night as I brush my teeth. Sometimes I forget what a blessing it is to be here, especially when I get caught up in all the not-so-pleasant-things that are part of life. But then I walk outside after a miserable day, happy that it’s finally 8:30 and I can go to bed, and I look up at the stars and everything seems insignificant. So no one understood how to graph a discontinuous function today, so you’re wearing the same dirty tshirt for the fifth day in a row, so you haven’t washed your hair in over a week and you think you might actually be smelling because you haven’t bathed in a while, so you have a giant puddle breeding mosquitos and mold in your room because it rained heavily in your house, so you are using water from a well that is questionably sanitary to brush your teeth…really none of it matters, and for the moment, you can look up, see the endless beauty of God’s creation, and know with certainty that the One who made the stars in the night sky has also breathed life into you. He is the One who has called you to this place, and He is the One who will remain faithful all your days. Stop doubting, keep believing, and simply trust. If He is able to keep track of all those stars in the sky for millions of years across limitless expanses of space and time, then how much more can He do for each of us who are created in His image and likeness? Like Van Gogh, I must admit that “For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”