A Wow Moment With God

Have you ever had a wow moment with God? I had a big one during the solar eclipse, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

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 8:3-4 NIV

I am blessed to live in the path of totality for yesterday’s solar eclipse. I tell you, it was one of the most incredible scenes I’ve ever witnessed. God wowed me with the beauty!

To be honest, I hadn’t been looking forward to the eclipse. An unnamed fear haunted me for months–probably a fear of the unknown, not having experienced a total solar eclipse before. I wanted to get it over with, more than anything.

At 11:00 a.m. I went home yesterday to feel as safe as possible–doesn’t that sound ridiculous for an almost 40-year-old woman? I need God’s peace every day, friends, especially when I’m facing the unknown.

Solar Eclipse: A Wow Moment

At 1:07 p.m. I looked up from my computer and noticed the strange lighting in my woods. The dim light tinged with brightness reminded me of an old Alfred Hitchcock film in Technicolor. Not much of a comfort to me, but I decided to go ahead with my viewing plan. I gathered my ISO glasses, my iPad, and my keys, and drove one mile to the edge of the family farm where I have a 360 degree view of the sky. Sunglasses are a must for me when I’m outdoors or driving, but I didn’t need them, and that seemed weird.

I parked near the cemetery and started taking photos every minute to compare the lighting. The song I played during the event was “You Are The Sun” by Sara Groves–if you haven’t heard this unique worship song, I recommend it highly.

As the moon completely shadowed the sun, dusk fell at 1:20 p.m. for about two minutes. Beautiful colors flooded the sky like a sunset, and the fields were quiet except for crickets and cicadas chirping. Tears came to my eyes as I took in the marvelous sight in God’s sky. “Wow, Lord,” is all I could manage to say. A confused bat flapped by me, wondering if it was time to hunt mosquitoes in the middle of the day. I hope it caught a few!

Tears came to my eyes as I took in the marvelous sight in God's sky. Wow, Lord, is all I could manage to say. #wowmoment #creation #awe Click To Tweet

Two truths amaze me most about the total solar eclipse:

1. God calls US the masterpiece of his creation.

After the eclipse I pondered Psalm 8 (above), and broke out in praise like David did in the psalm’s beginning and end:

Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8:1, 9

We are his masterpiece – greater than anything on earth! As Paul writes in Eph. 2:10 NLT – “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” What a privilege to be bestowed with this honor, especially in comparison to the sight I saw!

2. If God can align the sun, moon, and earth in a glorious display of his power, WHY am I still living in fear?

This thought occurred to me in the middle of the night, after waking up from a dream. God knew I faced the eclipse with fear. But he wowed me with the display, perhaps to tell me, “If I can do this with a stroke of my hand, I can handle all your fears, daughter.” He gave me more peace with this midnight thought, when the eclipse’s image burned bright in my mind again.

I won’t be facing the 2024 solar eclipse with fear (I’m blessed to live in totality’s path again!). I’ll be ready for another wondrous display of God’s beauty and power, and I’ll remember the day in August 2017 when I gained a brand-new version of peace.

If God can align the sun, moon, and earth in a glorious display of his power, WHY am I still living in fear? #trustGod #eclipse #faith Click To Tweet

Questions for reflection:

What was your eclipse experience like? Did it bring you greater peace?

How does the beauty of God’s creation inspire your worship?