Catch

As Leela took the trash out for her brother one night, a star fell and landed at her feet. Her teacher said falling stars were just burning chunks of metal that never reached the ground, but Leela hadn’t believed that for a second. Even so, she couldn’t tell what was rolling toward her. She stopped it with a foot and moved back a few steps. It felt rubbery beneath her shoe, almost bouncy. Walking around it carefully, Leela thought that this fallen star looked more like a playground ball than anything else – a playground ball made of solid gold and sunbeams and the warm glow of every birthday candle ever lit. She looked up at the sky, studying the brightness of some distant and eternal dawn shining through countless pinholes in the night. She looked down at the small piece of it all that had unexpectedly come bouncing into her life. Leela kept the star in her room for a few days wondering what to do with it; eventually making up her mind to put it back in the sky.

She took it to the playground, all the way up the monkey bars, and held it high over her head. Nothing happened. Well, not nothing, because her friends saw Leela’s new ball (they didn’t know it was a fallen star) and called out, “Hey! Leela, throw it here.” She heard them, but didn’t answer. Putting a fallen star back in the sky was busy work and Leela didn’t have time to stop and play with her friends.

Years later, Leela was a young woman still trying to put that fallen star back in the sky.

She brought it to work, all the way out onto the observation deck of her office building. From up there she could see the old playground far below. She held the fallen star above her head, and nothing happened. Well, not nothing, because her co-workers saw her holding that cool ball (they didn’t know it was a fallen star) and said, “Hey, Leela! Can we give you a hand with that?” She heard them, but didn’t answer. Putting a fallen star back in the sky was important work and Leela didn’t trust it to her co-workers.

Years later, Leela was an old woman still trying to put that fallen star back in the sky.

She no longer worked and it had been years since she could even remember playing. But, Leela still brought that fallen star everywhere she went. Which, to be honest, wasn’t many places. She lifted it and held it to the sky, but nothing happened. Well, not nothing, because her nurses saw her straining to lift that shiny ball (they didn’t know it was a fallen star) and said, “Oh, Ms. Leela. Put that down before you hurt yourself.” She heard them, but didn’t answer. Putting a fallen star back in the sky was hard work and Leela no longer had the strength for it.

One day Leela breathed her last, closed her eyes and opened them again to find herself face-to-face with God. All the beauty and brightness and blessing of heaven paled next to the splendor and radiance and deep affection Leela felt as the Lord looked at her and smiled. Much to Leela’s surprise, she noticed that the fallen star was still tucked safely under her arm. She laughed a little to herself, blushed and stepped forward meekly. Holding it out to the Lord, Leela said, “I’ve been trying all my life to put this back in the sky. I’m sorry. I believe it’s yours’ and think you should take it.” Leela was crying.

Can you hear thunder booming across a clear, blue sky beneath a smiling sun? Listen for the ceaseless song of silver surf dancing over sands of gold. These are good places to start to imagine what God’s gentle laughter sounded like to Leela.

“My dear and precious Leela,” said the Lord as he wiped away her tears. “Do not let your heart be troubled. You are here with me, now. And, I have always been with you.”

“But, what about this?” Leela asked, holding up the fallen star. “I tried so hard and for so long to put it back in the sky, where it belonged.”

“Yes, you did,” said God. “You tried very hard and were faithful in what you attempted. But, there was one thing you missed, something important.”

“What did I miss?”

“You missed sharing. You missed learning to trust. You missed the joy and the encouragement and the strength I provided for you through these experiences. Leela, my beloved, what you hold in your hands is not a fallen star and it did not belong in the sky.”

“What is it, Lord?”

“It is my love for you. It is my pledge to you. And, it is an invitation.”

“An invitation? To what?”

“To play catch.”

It took Leela a long time to take this all in. She looked from God to the ball in her hands and back to God. She held the ball out in front of her, let go, and it bounced. It bounced and she caught it and bounced it again. Now it was Leela’s laughter that rang through heaven and it blessed the Lord to hear it. She bounced it and dribbled it and threw it up into the air and caught it. As she did this and as she laughed, the years rolled back and Leela felt like she was being made anew, refreshed, restored, born again into the great and everlasting love of God.

All of a sudden, almost catching God by surprise (if such a thing were possible), Leela shouted, “Think fast!” and quickly tossed the ball into the Lord’s sure and ready hands.