Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

In case you’re still wondering what they are, you’re probably old enough now to hear the truth.  Stars are giant balls of gas that release tons of energy each second as they fuse together hydrogen and helium atoms to form all of the heavier elements of the universe.

(Takes away some of the romance doesn’t it)?

As far as I’m concerned, the only star worth singing about is the sun.  It rises majestically in the east every morning and gives off its brilliant display of colors in the west each evening.

Why do I think that the sun is so special?  I have a few reasons:

Number One - It’s Awesome

It provides mankind with over 100 trillion horsepower of energy each second in the form of life-giving light.

Number Two - It’s Miraculous

Sunlight causes soil, air and rain to combine in such a way that they transform from inorganic states to become organic vegetation for man and animals to feed on.  Do you know how it does that?  Nobody does.

Number Three - It’s Mysterious

The light from the sun defies all laws of science and nature by mysteriously acting as matter or energy or both at the same time, depending literally on how you look at it.

Number Four - It’s More Mysterious

Light travels at the same speed relative to you whether or not you are moving and whether or not the source of light is moving.  That means that even if you’re in a spacecraft traveling directly towards the sun at thousands of miles per hour, the light of the sun approaches you at the same 186,000 miles per second as if you were standing still.  Do you know how?  Nobody knows that either.

Number Five - It’s Fleeting

The sun is not going to last forever.  Scientists estimate that at the current rate of converting 5,000 tons of mass into energy every second, the sun will only last another 5.4 billion years.  (So if you’re planning a vacation to a warm climate, you’d better go soon).

And finally - It Makes You Wonder

Ultimately, the Sun hints to us of the awesome power of a Creator who can use just one out of the ten billion trillion fiery lights of the sky to be His humble servant to an inquisitive mankind.

Maybe it’s no coincidence that “Twinkle, Twinkle” is the first nursery rhyme we ever learn as tots.  It’s a pretty “star"tling subject.