Watching the Sunrise

Welcome! I am extremely happy you are reading this right now because it means that I am not doing this in vane! As I write this post I am sitting by my window watching the sunrise. I love watching the sunrise. To see the sky turn from the black of night into the deep blue of dawn is absolutely astonishing. And then before you know it, the sky explodes with light and color as the hues of red, orange, and yellow show their faces. I find it so beautiful to see the these hidden colors become known as they stretch across the sky and awaken the earth. And all of this is because of one star: the sun. One star dictates the color of the sky, the warmth of the day, the length of the day, and even the behavior of the inhabintants of earth. One star.
One of the things I really enjoy is astronomy because it makes me feel small. People spend so much of their time worrying about life and decisions and knowing whether or not they are good enough that they forget how truly small they are. I know I often forget that my life and opinions are not the most important ones out there, or that a lot of people often do not want to hear about what I had for breakfast or what my plans for the weekend are. There are so many times in life that we all need to see the miniscule importance that we have as human beings compared to the vastness and uncomprehendable size of everything around us. Let me explain, we all know that we live in the Milky Way Galaxy and "know" it is huge and unexplorable. But besides the one Milky Way Galaxy we all live in, there are literally BILLIONS of other galaxies. And within these billions of galaxies there are trillions and trillions of stars and planets. Let that sink in. We are just one earth in one galaxy among one solar system. Doesn't that make you feel small? We as humans, myself included, spend so much time worrying about our hair, our make-up, what we wear, what sports we play in, what grades we get, how much money we earn and what does it amount to? In the end what does that one extra dollar amount to in the face of a universe and time so large, we can only guess what is out there? What does losing that one extra pound or having that one pair of Air Jordan shoes matter when our lives are already so short they are called a mere handbreadth*?
But there is something else. When you go back to the enormity of the universe and the absolute awesomeness of it, put God into it. When you think about the amount of galaxies and stars that exist, think about the Creator who put them there. People always say that God is huge, and I am not exempt from that. But God IS huge. This universe that we live in stretches farther than our minds can think and yet God is bigger than all that. God created the boundaries of the universe, God was there when the galaxies exploded from the starting point of their lives, and the best thing about it is amidst the unlimited God we have, He knows every part about us. He knows when we sleep and when we wake, when we cry and when we laugh, He knows us even to the smallest cell reproduction we have within us. How do you feel now? The very Christ who set up the boundaries for the universe knows who you are and what you are feeling. We are all small. But we have a huge God to love us and make our lives matter. Yes our lives are only a mere handbreadth and yes the things we worry about are petty, but not a day goes by where God does not love the socks off of us. That is our purpose here in this huge thing we call the universe: To be loved by God and to love Him in return.
I encourage you to watch the sunrise one morning. Pick a cozy blanket, your favorite mug of coffee or tea, and the best window in the house, and just watch. Watch and think about the sun that is rising and the Son that has risen. God is vast beyond measure, and He loves you more than your mind can fathom. Until next time,

Carissa


Psalm 39:5 biblehub.com