Here they come! The sparkle-booms that light up the summer nights to celebrate our freedom from the grind of the fall-winter-spring, our nation’s freedom from anyone else owning us and telling us what to do, and our rights to freely worship, speak, and be. And here they come! The opposers who tout sleep deprivation, animal cruelty, and environmental encroachment.

No matter which camp you are in regarding the firework wars, they happen. Some are in big, beautiful displays for thousands to enjoy. Some in small family or neighbor gatherings. Some on the streets where derelict kids shoot them at each other as a funny game. I hear my grandfather’s voice chiming in… “it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt!”

At the risk of incriminating myself, I love fireworks so much! I see both sides of the argument, but as the lights ignite and explode into beautiful shimmering colors and beacons in the darkness behind them, something inside me lights up too. They spark joy in me. I feel like a kid as my eyes are drawn to the wonderful array of nighttime colors. Boom! The lights and shapes appear! And then they vanish – until the next blossom of carefully crafted sparks appears.

I could spend time discussing what goes into the crafting of fireworks’ various heights, size, color, and shape of display, but I’ll save that for another time. I giddily watched a beautiful firework show over Truist Park, home of my Braves. As I watched, I realized we are all fireworks. Our Creator took such careful time creating just how we would be, who we would impact during our time on earth, and how He would have our uniqueness shine in the darkness.

Sometimes even the most amazing people, the ones that seem to shimmer and glimmer for a long time, have nay-sayers – those who grumble against them for some reason or another. All the while some of the lesser lights, not as grand or glorious, attract the attention and affection of people and provoke laughter and happiness as much as the spectacular.

If you watch or put on a firework show, you know there are also duds. Ones who were created specially for a magnificent purpose, but they fail to measure up. Something happens along the way and things light their fuse, but then they sputter out. These duds were still given just as much care in their creation.

Fireworks don’t last forever. They fade pretty quickly. I guess in light of eternity, so do we. Our time on earth is limited, and no one gets out alive. Well, one did. But generally speaking, we have a short time to make a big impact. Who will we affect? Will we shine bright and spark joy in people?

God’s light displays are so much more than man can even begin to imagine to create: lightning, Northern and Southern Lights, Milky Way galaxy, Fire Rainbows, bioluminescence… Then there are the ones we take for granted because we see them so often: The sun, moon, stars, shooting stars, comets… you get the picture. God is unmatchable!

When it comes to His creation of US, for the time we are here on this earth, we are a beautiful work meant to shine His glory. In order to shine, we don’t have to have any special quality, or phenomenal talent, or material goods, we just have to have HIM! He is the light of the world. (John 8:12) Before God created any sort of light, He spoke light into existence. HE is the light! With Him inside, we are the beautiful light in the darkness sparking joy in others.

He shines IN us:

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

And through us:

“And those who are wise will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)

So, like the mighty lights of heaven, let us praise Him by being who He created us to be!

“Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the  heavens!Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.” Psalm 148: 3-5