5 Things the Eclipse Taught Me

My eclipse-viewing venue wasn’t Pinterest- or Facebook-worthy. I didn’t wear a cool t-shirt or throw a creative party. I took one silly picture of myself in my (NASA-approved) eclipse glasses and sent it to my daughter in Spain, but the event went largely undocumented. 

Truth be told, I’d have watched it by myself if a friend hadn’t been visiting from out of town and a next door neighbor hadn’t walked out into his front yard.

But sometimes the best things slip into our lives quietly. The 2017 total eclipse was one of them.

For a few hours my very ordinary front yard, in my non-descript corner of suburbia, became holy ground.

Little by little the moon slipped across the face of the sun. Like a mouse with a cookie, a nibble became a bite, which became a chomp, until only a thin sliver remained. And then it was gone. 

Slowly taking off my protective glasses, I gazed, unrestricted, at the glowing corona circling the dark orb like a halo. Darkness settled softly around me. A gentle breeze lifted my hair from my shoulders.

And then, like a love-struck man about to propose, nature held its breath. 

“Will you marry me?” the heavens exclaimed and, with a flourish, produced the most brilliant diamond solitaire perched on a shining golden ring.

“Yes.” the world answered. “I will. I will!”

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. . . . When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalm 8:1,3-4)

Indeed, what is mankind that you, God, are mindful of us? With the universe as your canvas and the clouds your paintbrushes, why would you soil your hands with muddy clay?

And yet you did. And still you do.

Monday’s solar eclipse reminded me of five truths about God: 

1. God is big. Bigger than the sun, the moon, and the galaxies.

2. God is faithful. With a flick of his finger, he could send our sun bouncing off into space like a marble. But he doesn’t.

3. God is intentional. He placed our boiling plasma ball close enough to warm us and give us light, yet far enough away not to incinerate us.

4. God is powerful. He’s dynamic enough to direct the solar system, fuel the processes of life, and keep the planets circling.

5. God is personal. Although he orders the universe and administrates the world, he’s also mindful of each individual.

“You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl,” Psalm 104:20-24 states, “The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. How many are your works, O LORD!”

You may not have seen the eclipse, but you can see the creator of the eclipse. 

“I love you,” our heavenly bridegroom declares. “Will you marry me?”

I hope you’ve said, “I will.” If not, what are you waiting for?

For more information on how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I invite you to CLICK HERE.

And now it’s your turn. How did the Lord reveal himself to you during the eclipse? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher