By: JANA GREENE

I heard the other day that it rains diamonds on Jupiter. It is believed that in the upper atmosphere, lightning strikes methane, turning it into carbon. As the pressure increases, it turns into graphite, and after falling another 4,000 miles or so, the pressure is so great, the graphite turns into diamonds. So, falls from their sky something so valuable, and stinky methane gas started the whole shebang.

But I doubt the Jupitarians appreciate it much – if Jupiter has sentient life. At least, if they are like us.

Well, shit,” I imagine them saying. “Eighty percent chance of showers. Better bring an umbrella. Rains going to leave dents on the spaceship! Might flood the streets. Damn diamonds.“

It makes me wonder how earthly beings find value in things. What if water is as much as a miracle as diamonds, and we just don’t see it? What if – over a cup of alien coffee – they say, “I heard it rains WATER on EARTH! Can you imagine?”

What if dandelions aren’t merely weeds? What if there is value in the Spanish moss that drips off of our trees here in the South? What if even the grass under our bare feet is adding to our human experience? Wiggle your bare toes in the grass fresh with morning dew and tell me there is no God.

I’m convinced this life is, as author Marianne Williamson says, a course in miracles. This season of life as a 55-year-old Earthling has me leaning into nature. And as a result, finding a more tangible God.

Spit a plain rock in half and find a geode. Forage for life in the woods and study mushrooms. Stargaze for the sake of stargazing.

Or stand in a forest and realize that every green thing you see is busy making air for you to breathe. Air! Thank God for the work they do. Maybe even thank the trees, as a nod of appreciation. Whie you’re embracing your mid-life crazy, hug a tree, like a proper hippie. Hold it and remember every cell in its brawny trunk and its wiry branches are alive.

Sit by the sea and consider the life within it. The tiny minnows and the monsters of the deep, animals we cannot yet imagine. The balance is delicate for a place so vast, full of yummy fishes and stunning coral. Like everything else, crafted by a creative force, no mistakes made.

And the heavens? Oh, the HEAVENS! More impressive than Jupiter – with its teasing rains of diamonds. The images from the James Webb Telescope confirm to my doubting heart that there is intelligence in its design. Butterfly Nebulas, supermassive Black Holes, endless galaxies made plain to us. I imagine surfing the universe, and some day, I know I will. I’ll be one with the Great Spirit, made stardust again.

Even the crunch of dead leaves underfoot is a reminder that we all have one precious life to live. And just like the leaves, we will become earth again.

So, it may rain diamonds on Jupiter, but we have miracles here too. I wonder if God ever turns to an angel and says, “I don’t know how much more proof they need?“

As we are all taking this Course in Miracles, held down by gravity and the aggravations of being human, let’s not forget to consider the part nature plays in our wellbeing. Every monumental mountain and every winding river hold proof of your own divinity. It is not separate from us.

All of it as precious as the diamonds that fall on Jupiter.

Jupitarians got nothin’ on us.

Hug a tree. And blessed be.