"[F]ireworks had for her a direct and magical appeal. Their attraction was more complex than that of any other form of art. They had pattern and sequence, colour and sound, brilliance and mobility; they had suspense, surprise, and a faint hint of danger; above all, they had the supreme quality of transience, which puts the keenest edge on beauty and makes it touch some spring in the heart which more enduring excellences cannot reach." ~ Jan Struther
Exuberant clusters of white blossoms bursting forth from these flowers remind me of the brilliant fireworks that soon will be lighting the night sky. Catching such a display is usually a highlight of my Fourth of July. This year, however, the holiday promises a different kind of splendor. I am joining my children for a week at church camp, so I anticipate enjoying a rousing devotional under the stars tonight.
I must admit, I am a little nervous to embark on this adventure into the great outdoors and hope that I will not wilt under the heat of the Alabama sun.
It has been many years since I went to camp, but it was the site of many of the most cherished memories of my youth. We referred to the dirt road leading into the campground as "the trail of tears" because many children entered the gates pleading with their parents to turn back but left at the session's end weeping for the friends they could not bear to part with. Looking ahead to the fellowship, Bible study and singing we will share, I am prayerful that this will be a spiritually uplifting week that all of us will treasure.
Who knows? This might just be our best Independence Day yet!
"There was one bursting now, a delicate constellation of many-coloured stars which drifted down and lingered in the still air." ~ Jan Struther
