Help Your Kids See Stars . . . And Other Awesome Wonders

We are privileged to live in Austin, Texas where we on average receive three hundred days a year where the sun shines. That means we have a lot of cloudless nights. And even with the city lights on around us, hundreds of stars, planets and the moon are visible most evenings.

In fact, a couple of times a month the space shuttle will fly over our part of the country for a few minutes each morning or night and we'll go out and watch it go by. (Some would suggest we need to get out more if that's our idea of fun).

And during those shuttle watches we are always amazed by the bigness of just what we can see in the Heavens from our little corner of the world. It's hard to imagine how much more is out there in the universe.

I've heard that scientists have discovered a star that is supposedly 265 times bigger than our sun and some ten millions times brighter.  Just one star!  Add to that all the light years of distance that the scientists have estimated and the black holes that appear to have no end to their depth.

I'm pretty convinced that we as parents need to remind our children of that bigness around us and help them to stop long enough to see it and experience it now and then. Sometimes parents of faith wonder how they can teach the deep spiritual truths about God to their children. Here's one pretty powerful method.  Take them outside some evening and look at the solar system. Lay on your backs and stare up at the heavens.  Get out of the city and enjoy it all even more.

Go to a planetarium, watch an eclipse of the moon, look for shooting stars. Learn more about the magnitude and incredible order that exists out there. And if you're a Christian family, spend some time praying to the God who you are confident made it all. Read some Scripture about the creation. I'm pretty sure it will be a worshipful time.

In fact, because young children are usually pretty fascinated by new things they will probably be quite impressed both that you took some time with them and that sky around them is so amazing. Give it a try. You'll find yourself pretty awestruck too!