I might as well admit this. At first I wasn’t overly excited about the eclipse. I was completely uneducated about the event. Ignorance may be bliss and I was comfortable in my uninterested state.

Until I received the call to take a trip to southern Kentucky for Aug 21.

As the day approached, my excitement mounted. I did some research and learned a lot about what to expect. I also added “watch solar eclipse” to the #30for30 list.

I excitedly told my family about it.

“Nah” said my dad “I remember one while I was in school. They said all the same things: chickens roosting, stars coming out, temp dropping… It’s nothing. Sorry”

I purposed in my heart to return home with a full report.

Monday morning was beautiful. The Kentucky sun shone a cheery welcome as we joined the 3,000 people trudging up the steep hill to the colorful tents. The edges of the tents gently flapped in the breeze.

The sun got warmer and warmer as we sat through a number of science lectures varying in degrees of practicality and interest.

My mind raced. Mainly I was trying to decide when was the optimal opportunity to stand in line to purchase food where proceeds went to Haiti.

And I felt antsy- totality was so close!

Finally the meeting was dismissed and we gathered out on the great hill in our little groups and waited.

The sun shone brightly and we appreciated the breeze. We donned our glasses, and exclaimed as a small bite appeared on the right side of the sun.

The children in our group could hardly sit still. They ran back and forth exclaiming over the crescent shapes in the shadows, peering through different telescopes, checking on Pluto the Rooster. The bite in the sun grew larger and larger.

The sky grew to an eerie dusk. We started seeing planets pop out all over the sky.

I watched as the small fingernail of sun grew smaller and smaller, and then:

Darkness descended upon us.

(Notice the Planet off to the left of the sun.)

And 3,000 people lifted their awe-filled voices in a shout of triumph. “Ooooooh” we said “wow!” “There’s the diamond ring!” Shouted an excited man behind me. “Look at the streetlights are on!” “Listen to the crickets!” “Look at the sunset on the horizon!”

There were so many things to see. I absorbed as much as I could in the 2 minutes before the light eased back on and the moon continued its journey across the sky.

We all headed to join the horrendous traffic in eerie light, with hearts overflowing.

It was better than I’d dared hope. I’d expected to be totally awed by the Perfect Timing of our Heavenly Father’s Universe and how I believe His timing is perfect in my world too. But there is a reminder burning brighter in my heart than that.

We finished up our trip by visiting the Ark. Noah believed that the World was going to be destroyed by a flood. He spent years preparing for it. 100 years to be exact. And when the flood happened, Noah and his family were saved.

Someday there will be another event transpiring. I’m anticipating it. I spend a lot of time sitting through lectures on it, that vary in degree of practicality, and admittedly sometimes my mind wanders. But still I stay.

Because I believe this event will take place, I am carefully arranging the details of my life around it.

I’m doing research, learning everything I can, accepting the facts by faith. Some believe the reports, some do not.

My friend, there is not a doubt in my mind that someday, the clouds will part, and Jesus Christ will appear, ending the world as we know it, calling His Children Home.

I’m so thankful that unlike the rapidly disappearing solar glasses, there’s no limit to the gift of becoming a child of God. Jesus Christ died on the cross to save the entire world from their sins.

We can look forward to an eternity with Him in Heaven if we accept this gift of Jesus’s sacrifice and allow Him to rule our lives.

And when He returns, may we be found with the rest of the saints, raising our voices in a shout of triumph.

Worthy is the Lamb,

Kendra