Seasons Continued

Imagine that I've handed you a flat board. Grab it with both hands and hold it up in front of you (so the flat part is exactly vertical (up and down)). Now I've got a big fire hose and I'm about to spray that board. Ready? SPRAY!!!!!

What is your experience? Are you feeling the pressure of the water against that board? Are you able to resist the intense force that is now bearing down on you? How's that feeling?

OK the water is off now. You can recover and grab a towel to dry yourself a bit, if you want.

Round two. Hold that board again but this time tilt it up just a bit. Ready?

SPRAY!!!!

How is this time different from last time? Are you feeling the SAME pressure against the board? Is it easier to resist the force? What has happened to the intensity?

OK water off. Use the towel again if you need to.

Round three. Yes, you have to do it again. This time tilt the board even more, almost horizontal but not quite. Ready?

SPRAY!!!!

Now how is it to hold on the that board? What's the pressure intensity this time? How much easier is it to resist the force?

OK water off. No, you don't have to do it anymore. You can go change into dry clothes if you want to. I'll wait here till you get back. No really, take your time. I'm not going anywhere.

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I see you did your hair too. Looking good!
Glad your back.

So if your experience with the board was what I anticipated it would be you'll have noticed that when the water came at the board straight on, the pressure and intensity was HUGE. The more you tilted the board, the less direct and greater the angle that the water hit the board, the less pressure and intensity you felt. Right? Right!

The same is true of the suns rays. If those rays hit the surface of the earth directly (straight on), the intensity of the suns rays will be great. If those rays hit the surface of the earth at a less direct angel the intensity of the suns rays will seem to be less powerful.

The more direct the sun's rays hit the earth the hotter that area of the earth will get - Summer.
The less direct the sun's rays hit the the earth the cooler (less heat) that area of the earth will get - Winter.

The earth takes 365 days to orbit the sun. Because of the tilt of the earth's axis, half of that 365 days the northern hemisphere will be tilted toward the sun and will experience more intense sun rays and it will be summer. The southern hemisphere will be tilted away from the sun. The angel the sun's rays hit the southern hemisphere will be more pronounced and therefore less intense causing less heat and winter weather.

The other half of the 365 days the southern hemisphere will be tilted toward the sun and will experience more intense sun rays and more heat. It will be summer there while the northern hemisphere being tilted away will have less intense sun rays, less heat and winter.

It is the intensity of the sun's rays as a result of the angle they hit the earth and not the distance those rays travel that causes the wonderful seasons we experience.

Didn't God design a wonderful planet for his children. Truly God designed so that men (and women) might have joy, even in the changing of the seasons.