Kim Wilbanks

When Counting Sheep Doesn’t Help

I couldn’t fall asleep the other night. There was too much turmoil, externally and internally. I finally gave up and got out of bed. As I often do, I went out onto the balcony to look at the night sky. Boy, am I glad I did. I saw one of the most beautiful sights: an inky-black sky full of twinkling stars peeking over the mountains.

I should have known better than to look at social media one last time before I turned out the lights. It seems the world has gone mad. There is so much strife, division, and hatred, and that’s not even the serious stuff. A person asks a simple question on a vacation page, and they’re bombarded with snarky, sarcastic responses. The people on the book page are in constant disagreement. And it seems like some people just want to be angry for the sake of being angry.

Add that to an already hard week, the anniversary of my dad’s death, and it was no wonder I couldn’t shut my mind down to drift into blissful sleep. 

A Gift From God

When I stepped out onto that balcony, my first thought was Wow, amazing! What lay before me filled me with wonder. Stars as far as the eye could see. I think I even saw faint traces of the Milky Way. It was as if at the beginning of time, God reached into his bag of cosmic dust and flung the contents across the expanse of sky while shouting SHINE! (Or perhaps he said “twinkle”). 

Another thing I noticed was the silence. The only sounds were an occasional car driving along the mountain road below, a couple of jets flying so high in the sky that they blended in with the stars, and some dogs barking in the distance. No telephones were ringing or beeping to announce a text message, no horns honking, no angry voices yelling, no weapons firing. It was an incredibly peaceful night, and it did wonders for my weary soul.

I stayed outside for about half an hour, gazing at the stars and talking to God. I poured out my heart to him—everything from the sadness I feel about losing my parents to the concern I feel about the state of the world. He answered my prayers with peace.

Longing For Peace

We will experience strife, division, hatred, and scary things on this earth until Jesus returns. Those things are part of the external turmoil every human faces. We keep hoping for things to get better, but they only seem to get worse.

We will also experience internal turmoil, such as sadness on the anniversaries of sorrowful events, anxiety over our health, perplexity over misunderstandings, and the fear of what may happen next.

But those few minutes I spent outside beneath that starry sky reminded me of something important. When facing worldwide and inner struggles, divine comfort and peace remain available. We simply need to request it. You never know how God will answer. It may be with a brilliant rainbow, a spectacular sunset at the beach, or an inky black sky full of twinkling stars.

He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names. Psalm 147:4.

Praise Him sun and moon! Praise him, all you shining stars. Psalm 148:3

You will keep whoever's mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you. 
Isaiah 26:3

I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

And the peace of God, which surpasses all ynderstanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

How about you? Have you ever felt the peace of God in the midst of turmoil? What makes you feel at peace? I’d love to hear.

I have a long-standing tradition of stargazing. If you would like to read one of my earlier blog posts on the subject, click here.