Ponder the Sun
By Donna Wasson
It occurred to me this morning how easy it is to take things for granted. We tend to waltz through our days with little to no notice of the small pleasures and flat-out miracles that surround us.
For instance, when I got out of bed this morning, I was a bit chilly. I went downstairs, opened the front door, leaving the full glass storm door closed and I was immediately engulfed in a pool of bright sunshine. I stood for a moment, trying to wake up, soaking up the warmth. Big deal, you say? Think about it for a moment.
I basked in the warmth of a star that is 93 million miles away! One that has been burning continuously for Lord knows how long. Its precise distance from Earth is perfectly balanced for maintaining life on this planet and furnishes not only heat, but causes photosynthesis to occur, causing plant life to grow. This gives us the oxygen we need to breathe our atmosphere and also provides us with food, shade, and shelter for ourselves and all the animals and, as an added bonus, beautifies the world we live in.
It is also responsible for driving Earth’s climate and weather patterns. This is accomplished by the heating of the upper atmosphere and the evaporation of the oceans. Water vapor is transported by winds over land masses where it condenses into clouds and rain. The runoff of rain back into the oceans is again heated by the sun, and the cycle continues.
Now that my 8th grade lesson on the sun is completed, I want you to pause for a moment in wonder. Lift your face to its warmth. Look around you and marvel at the amount of light it provides, allowing us to live our lives and conduct business as usual, all without a second thought.
Finally, take the time to stop, marvel at and worship the incomprehensibly powerful Creator who, so long ago, simply spoke the sun into existence with four little words. “Let there be light.”
By Donna Wasson
It occurred to me this morning how easy it is to take things for granted. We tend to waltz through our days with little to no notice of the small pleasures and flat-out miracles that surround us.
For instance, when I got out of bed this morning, I was a bit chilly. I went downstairs, opened the front door, leaving the full glass storm door closed and I was immediately engulfed in a pool of bright sunshine. I stood for a moment, trying to wake up, soaking up the warmth. Big deal, you say? Think about it for a moment.
I basked in the warmth of a star that is 93 million miles away! One that has been burning continuously for Lord knows how long. Its precise distance from Earth is perfectly balanced for maintaining life on this planet and furnishes not only heat, but causes photosynthesis to occur, causing plant life to grow. This gives us the oxygen we need to breathe our atmosphere and also provides us with food, shade, and shelter for ourselves and all the animals and, as an added bonus, beautifies the world we live in.
It is also responsible for driving Earth’s climate and weather patterns. This is accomplished by the heating of the upper atmosphere and the evaporation of the oceans. Water vapor is transported by winds over land masses where it condenses into clouds and rain. The runoff of rain back into the oceans is again heated by the sun, and the cycle continues.
Now that my 8th grade lesson on the sun is completed, I want you to pause for a moment in wonder. Lift your face to its warmth. Look around you and marvel at the amount of light it provides, allowing us to live our lives and conduct business as usual, all without a second thought.
Finally, take the time to stop, marvel at and worship the incomprehensibly powerful Creator who, so long ago, simply spoke the sun into existence with four little words. “Let there be light.”
copyright © 2008 Donna Wasson. All rights reserved.