The Universe Displayed

There’s a lot of news happening right now. In general, it’s negative and depressing. If you’re feeling anything like I am, then you’re longing to take a break, step away for a while, and just find something positive. So, [with a nod to Stephen Colbert] … “meanwhile,” our solar system has a lot to celebrate! The Chandra X-Ray Observatory – one of the top astronomy observatories in the world – is celebrating its 20th birthday. And, that is something positive and cool! The Chandra telescope has taken stunning photographs of our solar system over the past two decades of our galaxy … and beyond.

Such as these.

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been excited whenever there was a new discovery about our universe. One of my earliest memories (possibly my very first) was watching the Apollo moon landing on a small television (black & white screen of course). Even that young, I could feel the excitement in the air. As I grew, I liked imagining how I could go up there someday to walk on the moon, and explore outer space! I remember one night when we were staying with a family friend in a remote location away from city lights. I was about 5 or 6 years old. It was so dark that night the sky could clearly be seen filled with billions of stars! As I sat on the porch gazing upward my Mom took advantage of a powerful teaching moment. She pointed out the constellations, the north star, the big and little dippers … and then she explained that surely some of those millions of stars shining far, far away were other worlds, just like ours – filled with other people, just like us. Maybe, there was even another little girl on another little planet, looking up at the stars right now – wondering if there are other worlds with other little girls like her?

Totally. Mind. Blowing.

“The more we learn about the universe, the more we understand—at least in a small part—what Moses knew. The universe is so large, mysterious, and glorious that it is incomprehensible to the human mind. “Worlds without number have I created,” God said to Moses. The wonders of the night sky are a beautiful testimony of that truth. “

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Matter To Him

I love pondering how I am part of something so much bigger than myself. Our earth home is just a tiny blip in the cosmos. All of the centuries of tumultuous history and the current chaos is rather insignificant. Imagine, if everyone took the opportunity to look up and out, maybe they wouldn’t feel like fighting anymore. Even our personal worries, jobs, tasks, struggles, tears, and heartaches are all very small in the grand scheme of things, and it will all pass away and be forgotten like a dream in just a few brief moments of interstellar time.

And yet, we exist! We breathe. We feel. We are a part of this amazing ever-expanding living universe. Right here. Right now. Perhaps we may never fully comprehend what it is all about. Perhaps what truly matters is how we choose to use the time we have. How will we treat our earth, value ourselves, and honor others?

“Our Heavenly [Parents] created the Universe so that we could reach our potential as [their] sons and daughters. This is the paradox of mankind… compared to God we are nothing, and yet we are everything to God.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Matter To Him

I can think of no better way of keeping a positive perspective than looking upward and outward into the universe. – Holly

“Oh Lord My God, When I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee! How Great Thou Art! How Great Thou Art!”

Carl Boberg, 1885 Swedish Hymn