Back in December, I wrote about the hours of darkness in Alaska at the time of the winter solstice. Now that the summer solstice has occurred, I would like to share my thoughts on this seasonal phenomenon as well.
As much as I prepared and believed the hours of darkness in the winter would bother me, surprisingly, it has been the hours and hours of daylight that have affected me more. The summer solstice occurred this afternoon at 3:08 p.m. ADT when the earth tilted to its greatest angle toward the sun (at least in the northern hemisphere), but it has been WEEKS since we’ve had any darkness at all. The sun officially sets at 12:47 a.m. tonight; however, it rises again at 2:56 a.m. and does not go below the horizon enough to allow any darkness in the area. It is definitely the Land of the Midnight Sun.
I have experienced a variety of issues in dealing with all this light. First, I lose all track of time because I cannot rely on the fading light to remind me when it’s about time for dinner…or when guests need to go home…or when kids need to come in from the playground. There have been several nights that I’ve looked at the clock wondering when I should start dinner, and it reads 8:30. Just the other day, Mary and Joseph were outside playing, and I realized it was 11:30 p.m.!
Second, it’s a little difficult to get a full night’s sleep because bedtimes are much later, and I have found that I catnap all night long rather than falling into a deep sleep. My bedroom windows face north which is where the sun is “setting and rising” so my room is filled with light 24 hours a day. Just the slightest waking up gives the illusion that it’s time to start the day even when the clock reads 3:15 a.m.
And finally, after spending a winter here, waiting and watching for the hours of daylight to come back around, I don’t want to miss one minute of the precious light and warmth from the sun. I am trying to do as much as I possibly can to pack activities into our day because the fall/winter, along with much less daylight, will be here before I know it. We have been eating outside, sitting outside to read, taking long walks, kayaking, hiking, anything to enjoy the light and its warmth.
So basically, I have learned that in Alaska, it’s all about the light…how much, how little, how beautiful, how long…and I want to do all that I can to experience all that the light has to offer.
God’s Word also says that it’s all about the light.
John 1:4-5 — “Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 8:12 — Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
Ephesians 5:8-9 — Paul writes, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light — for the fruit of light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth — discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.”
I Peter 2:9 — “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Revelation 22:5 — “Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.”
My heart then asks a question~ Am I doing all I can to soak it up? Am I spending as much time as I possibly can in the light of Jesus so that others may see it? Do I turn my face toward the Son to bask in the warmth of His glory? I pray that as we begin this first day of summer, the season of longer days and shorter nights, we will decide to take an extra moment each day to not only recognize the beauty of the sunshine but also to recognize the beauty of the Son.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTMh_UAsj7o
On another note…last night, our family, along with my parents, went to Eagle Summit about 100 miles outside of Fairbanks to experience the Midnight Sun. We stayed until the sun “didn’t set.” It was truly amazing!
Land of the Midnight Sun
12:01 a.m.
12:15 a.m. ~ It was actually much brighter, but the camera couldn’t quite capture it .
Official sunset 12:46 a.m. We stayed at Eagle Summit until just after 1:00 a.m., and the sun never dipped below this point but moved horizontally until it would start rising again…spectacular! By the time we got back home, the sun had already risen. We went to bed anyway 🙂
Choosing Life 
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