Hello, God. It's me, Mara.

You know Lord, camping friends shared about gazing up into a night sky lit with stars - way too many to count. E. K. mentioned seeing a mesmerizing sight, but what had their focus was a paper lantern moving above their heads. How still the night was, hardly any wind to blow the globe as it floated lazily toward the heavens. Along with their friends and the kids; "We all oohed and aahed as the glowing object moved over the tree tops and eventually beyond our vision."

Despite some rain that weekend, they'd all had a wonderful time making memories, like canoe floating downriver, roasting s'mores, romping through the campground and falling asleep in the sounds of the great outdoors.

But that one moment in particular, as she watched so many people gazing upward, she said she'd breathed a prayer of thanksgiving that God's eye is ever on us. "We lost sight of the lantern," she said. "It floated beyond our reach, of course, vulnerable to the slightest pressure against. It. How peaceful it also felt to trust that the God who created the mighty winds and expansive sky, carries us tenderly, guides us faithfully, and shelters us constantly. We are His own - we are never truly at the whim of any other force. It may seem so at times, but our LORD is still sovereign and in control.

"What a beautiful sight our hearts can enjoy when we envision ourselves and those, we love being led along by the mighty hand of a loving God. That special time reminded me/us of Psalm 32:8; "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'

Just for fun, she suggested that we buy a paper lantern and offer prayer as we send it upward, thanking the Lord that He carries you.

Love, Mara