It has long been a dream of my wife’s to go see the Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern
Lights, and this year, we traveled to Fairbanks, AK, in an attempt to fulfill that dream. There was a
certain amount of anxiety leading up to this trip as temperatures in Fairbanks during the winter can
range between -15 °F to -25 °F! Would it be safe to drive on the roads there? Would we be warm
enough in our city slicker clothing? Would we even see the lights?
The first thing I noticed when we got to Fairbanks is that while it takes up roughly the same amount of
land as the city of Miami, Fairbanks only houses around 30,000 residents as opposed to 6 million people
in Miami. With a relatively flat landscape, everywhere you look is just endless snow-covered wilderness.
The anxiety began to gradually ebb away as we took deep breaths of crisp cold air, marveled at snow-
laden trees against a blue sky, and stood at the edge of the frozen Chena River.
Being in nature and seeing everything God has created is one surefire way that God can speak to us.
Psalm 19:1-4 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies show His handiwork. Day unto day
they utter speech, and night unto night they reveal knowledge. There is no speech nor language where
their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the
world.”
Our experiences in nature can help us see segments of God’s Word in action and improve our
knowledge of Him. As we enjoy nature, we can search for discoveries and reminders of God, then take
our observations back to the Bible to study deeper meanings. In my experience, connecting what I see in
nature with something I’ve read in the Bible teaches me more than either one can alone.
As for the Northern Lights, night after night, the weather did not cooperate, and the skies were
constantly cloudy. However, on our last night in Fairbanks, as we stood in a snow-covered field at 1:56
am, ready to accept the fact that we might not see the aurora borealis on this trip, it happened! It was
faint to the naked eye, but through the camera lens, it was as if God took a mighty brush, dipped it in
neon green paint, and waved it over the dark canvas. It was every bit as miraculous as we imagined.
“The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. He loads the clouds with
moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.” (Job 37:10-11) The ice, the snow, the rain, and the
Northern Lights are all at God’s command and we rest in the knowledge that we serve and are loved by
the God of all creation, whose timing is always perfect.