Catching the Aurora Borealis while in Fairbanks was at the top of our bucket list.
We consulted the Aurora forecast and asked the hotel staff to call if they spotted the lights. The call came, and my husband and I jumped into the SUV with our thermos of hot chocolate, picnic goodies, blankets, and camera and headed to the highway pullout, where darkness reigned and provided the best views.
The pink pirouette from the horizon announced the beginning of the celestial dance-a-thon. What started as a ballet with green and violet dips and arabesques low in the evening sky rapidly became a twirling waltz with breathtaking leaps and vaults, breaking into hip-hop footwork and reggae grapevines—all the while changing colors from pinks to violets to greens to blues. Partnering lights glided in tandem through the sky until the unheard music changed rhythm, and a glide transformed into a skip, a cha-cha, a moonwalk, and then a twist. Eventually, the brilliant lights calmed and sashayed out of the skies to dance another night.
The northern lights, the Auroras, were everything I imagined and more. As I watched the sky fade to black, my heart filled with song. I sang “How Great Is Our God” to the one who loves me with an outlandish love, praising Him for who He is—showing Himself in that moment and always. Creator. Sovereign. Savior. Lover of my soul. The one who deserves glory, honor, and praise—all proclaimed through the works of His hands in the dark skies of Alaska.
We may never see the northern lights dance when we look into the night sky, but we will see stars twinkling on velvet, a streaking comet, or the moon wrapped in haze. All the heavens radiate the message of God’s love for us and showcase His glorious nature.
Take a moment to stop and praise God for who He is and what He has done, then rest in His glory and delight in His wonder.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Noel_Bauza.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Sharon Carpenter is a writer.