Our Little Planet

A long time ago I was privileged enough to be serving in a Canadian air force base in Labrador. It was a remote beautiful part of the world where the wilderness met a shanty town of ramshackle buildings. I remember flying into that base and being totally awe struck at the beauty of it. Pine trees reached to the skies and half frozen lakes dwarfed the few vessels which piloted them.
The early evening skyline was an artists palette to behold.
Years later, I served in the Gulf states in the middle of the desert and again, was struck by the beauty of the nights that graced our stay. It was as though someone had hung a black curtain over our heads encrusted with the brightest diamonds.
It took my breath away and I don't mind admitting that there were times I would cry at the beauty it brought to such a dark time.
It got me to thinking what inspired John Glenn and Mr Armstrong to want to go into space, I wonder if it was because of the opportunity it provided him to view our jewel of a planet in it's entirety? I wonder too after having done that, whether he found anything else in his life as breathtaking?
To take this pondering down a level. I was walking to church on saturday morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, there was silvery dew laying on the meadows. I came across one of the many blackberry bushes in our village and spied the first ripe berries I have seen. I just couldn't resist popping one into my mouth. Do you know that was the most sweet, juicy, wholesome thing I have eaten for a long time.
We truly do live in a beautifully crafted world.
The next time you are out, lift your head and take in the beauty that surrounds you, it is one of the gifts of life we so often ignore and when you do praise whichever God you have for gifting it to you.