** Fireworks **

I watched a 4th of July fireworks display last night. It was hot and muggy, but enjoyable to be with friends, family and community. Not one to gravitate to “live” fireworks in the uncomfortable heat (sometimes it’s pleasant to be indoors, watching them on television!), I began to search for a possible connection with God in what my eyes and ears beheld. We sat very close to the rockets’ launching site. The flares could be seen shooting upward, striving higher and higher, before they exploded into bursts of colors and pops, to the delight of the crowd below. Some missiles shot straight upward, others took a spiraled path, some very high, some not so much. They all eventually exploded to release mesmerizing colors, emitting loud pops and bangs. We sat and watched for over 30 minutes.

I started to watch how high each rocket reached before exploding. I wondered how we sometimes exhibit the behavior of those rockets. We can go about our days, trying to be in charge of what happens (even voicing opinions about how the world should be run!). We strive higher and higher to be, basically, like God. God allows us to reach upward as high as we can go on our own, but when we reach the safety zone limit, God stops us, we cry out in surrender with a bang, and God allows our true being to color the sky with delight. It is only with the surrender to God’s love and power that we learn just how beautiful we can be in this world. So, let us give delight to those around us, learning to strive for good, as we remember that we are not fully in charge. Strive though we might, straight path or spiraled, may we realize that we have limitations without God’s help. When we run out of oomph, may we surrender with faith. We can imagine God saying, “Watch this!” Ooohh, aaahh…