A Change in Perspective

There’s something fascinating about the way astronauts describe their first view of Earth from space.

Suspended in the vastness, looking down through a window, they talk about a shift that happens almost instantly. Our planet no longer looks crowded or divided. Borders disappear. Conflicts shrink. What they see instead is a fragile, breathtaking home—one shared by everyone. The same air. The same water. The same blue and green, spinning quietly in the dark.

Many of them say they wish everyone could see it at least once, because it changes how you think—not just about Earth, but about your place on it.

Scientists call this the overview effect—a sudden change in perspective. A moment when awe takes over and rearranges what feels important. For some, it even opens a door to spiritual reflection—a sense that this world, so carefully held together, points beyond itself.

And when I hear that, I think of the invitation tucked into Psalm 33:8: “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” Not fear as in dread—but the kind of reverent wonder that stills you. The kind that makes you stop talking for a moment because words feel too small.

Most of us will never see Earth from space. But we can learn the same kind of perspective—without ever leaving the ground.

The same God who flung galaxies into place also paid attention to the curve of a leaf, the rhythm of breath, the way a flower opens without being told how. The Creator who holds the universe together is just as present in the ordinary spaces we rush through every day. And when we slow down long enough to notice, awe has a way of finding us.

Sometimes it’s the night sky—quiet and expansive, reminding us how small we are. Sometimes it’s something much closer: a snowflake, a butterfly wing, a child’s laughter, or the steady miracle of a body that keeps going even when it’s tired. God has scattered reminders of His glory everywhere—not to overwhelm us, but to invite us to notice, to pause, to stand in wonder.

Awe is a formidable emotion that does something to the soul.

It quiets the noise inside us. For a moment, we stop being the center of everything—and that’s actually a relief. Awe steadies the heart and reminds us we’re not carrying the whole world on our shoulders; we’re being carried. Known by name. Seen in full. Loved by a God far bigger than our understanding.

And when we stand in that kind of awe, something shifts. Worry loosens its grip. Faith grows quieter and steadier. And we remember that the same God who shaped the world is present with us—right here, right now.

If this Fireside Chat warmed your spirit and sparked fresh resolve to live what you believe, fan that flame with Scripture—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Pull a little closer to the Light, and carry it into the week ahead.

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