My husband and I went to Primeland, Virginia, for a New Year’s winter getaway. The estate was surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains—my favorite place to be.
One of the most memorable experiences I had on this trip was stargazing in the estate’s observatory. As soon as I sat down and the dome opened, the cold north winds blew in, and I was reminded of one of Mama’s favorite hymns: How Great Thou Art.
The lyrics begin:
O 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.
The instructors told us it was a beautiful, cold, clear night, and we were looking at 10,000 stars. It was an amazing sight to see. Jupiter shone the brightest in the midnight-blue sky. We were invited to look through an advanced telescope to see Jupiter in greater detail. I also learned about the Seven Sisters star cluster and could actually count all seven stars. The Big Dipper was stunningly clear. However, the star formation that stood out the most to me was the Orion Nebula, also known as the Mama Cloud. Its role is to create stars, and witnessing that was both fascinating and majestic.
The hymn How Great Thou Art was originally composed from a Swedish poem. This glory-filled poem captures the awe and reverence of God’s creation, highlighting the stars, mountains, winds, and oceans.
After stargazing, I found myself thanking God for His wonder and creation. Our Father is the true artist of the sky, and we are His masterpiece.
