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Spring is Here! The Equinox Says So!

March 20, 2017

Today is the Spring Equinox, the First Day of Spring! The sun and the earth are in their places. Hopefully the weather will get the message soon! It’s at this time of year that the sun is directly in front of you if you’re heading west near the time of sunset, or east at sunrise, making driving a bit of a challenge. This happens because wherever you are on the planet, the sun is rising due east and setting due west.

When I was teaching Earth Science in high school, I celebrated this day with my students in a way I hoped they would remember what the equinox is all about. Twice a year on the days of the spring and fall equinoxes, I would bring cupcakes to school – but not just any cupcakes. These were Equinox Cupcakes: half chocolate and half yellow, with frosting to match, representing the fact that on this day there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness all over the world, no matter how far north or south you may be.

The equinox is caused by the earth’s position in its orbit around the sun. On all other days of the year, the tilt of the axis causes more sunlight to fall in one hemisphere or the other, causing winter in the northern hemisphere while it’s summer in the southern, and vice versa. But on the Spring and Fall Equinoxes everybody gets 12 and 12.

I am also fascinated by phases of the moon, and many other observable occurrences caused by the movements of the earth, sun, moon, and planets. I have been known go out and measure the angle of the sun in the sky, or measure the sun’s shadow at various times of the day, simply out of curiosity.

Nowadays there are websites a person can use to find out anything he wants to know about angles, length of daylight, and any other calculation he might be curious about. My days of measuring these things directly are probably over too, although I must admit, as I am out walking if I see a straight pole casting a shadow, I may try to estimate the length of the shadow compared to the height of the pole and mentally calculate how high the sun must be right now.

You may be wondering why I’m sharing this with you. Just to show you that I am truly weird? No, that isn’t why. I have mentioned in previous blogs how reassuring I find it that we can count on astronomical line-ups taking place at their appointed times, as they have been for thousands of years. I get excited about tangible evidences of God’s faithfulness. He tells us why He set this all in place: “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years’” (Genesis 1:14).

Maybe the equinoxes are also a bit special to me because it sounds like my name is in the word. The name comes from two Latin words: equi meaning “equal,” and nox meaning “night,” because the length of night is equal everywhere on that day. But there’s more than that. What most intrigues me about the equinox is the fact that it is a time of balance, perfect balance between the day and night, and that it’s happening everywhere. But when I celebrate the equinox, it is not a celebration of the sun, the earth, or their motions and angles. I am celebrating the faithfulness of our Creator God.

It has been a few years since I made my last batch of cupcakes, but I remain intrigued at this astronomical line-up that occurs regularly and predictably twice a year.

Happy Equinox Day! I hope spring arrives soon where you are!

Photo from examiner.com

Serendipity Saturday

November 28, 2016

Serendipity:“the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way”

After a very productive but relaxed Saturday morning, I still had a few more computer tasks, so I took my laptop to the living room for a change of scenery. The blinds were open and I saw the couple across the street putting up their Christmas lights. I turned on my lamp and started to work. Soon the neighbor, having seen that I was home, came to my door with an invitation to the Christmas lighting block party on Sunday afternoon.

Thinking my house would look pretty forlorn among all the lighted homes, I asked the Lord, “Do I really want to go to Target at noon on the Saturday after Thanksgiving?” The answer seemed to be yes. When else would I be able to put up the lights before the party? Not at night, in the dark! And not Sunday morning. I would be at church all morning from 8:30 on, followed by orchestra rehearsal in the afternoon.

The Target parking lot was full, and so was the store. After selecting the lights, I saw a cute little fox and thought a Knox’s fox would fit perfectly between the two bushes I planned to decorate. The check-out lady asked, “Did you find everything you were looking for?” I replied that I had. Then I “just happened” to mention that I should have bought an extension cord, too, but I guessed I would come back later if I needed it. She scanned my purchases and said, “You should probably get it now. If you spend $19 more on Christmas stuff, you’ll be eligible for $50 off.” For another $22 I bough a cord and timer, and saved $50.

Turned out I did need the cord. When hooking the strings od lights together, it looked like I would need still another cord. But before running to the store, I asked, “Lord, is there some way to do this without another cord?” There was! So, three hours after leaving the house, I finished the job. I realize it isn’t very creative or artistic, and next year I’ll start a little earlier and do a better job. But I had lights when it came time to turn them on along with the rest of the neighbors.

When I went back inside, I looked again at the invitation, and saw I was to bring a lawn chair. I realized my lawn chairs were in the back of my car – in my garage in Illinois! Several possible ideas came to mind, none very good. Then a very gentle voice said, “Ask your neighbors if you can borrow one from them.” That conversation yielded not only the loan of a chair, but also a nice chat and an opportunity to get to know the neighbors better.

As I reflected on the day, I thought about all the serendipities, and how perfectly all the timing worked out. Oh, and by the way, unbeknownst to me, the fox was a very sought-after item and I got the last one. This little fox will not spoil the vine. Instead, he will remind me that God is interested in every detail of my life, even Christmas lights.