THE EARTH: AN AMAZING
BLESSING FROM GOD

In 1977, the USSR sent its orbital space station Salyut 6 into space. In February 1979, two Soviet astronauts, Vladimir Lyakhov and Valery Ryumin, were sent there, where they had to spend almost half a year in space.  They had been in orbit in the space laboratory for a record 171 days and made an 83-minute excursion to dismantle equipment in preparation for their return to Earth.

The Communist Party newspaper ‘Pravda’ reported that the men were growing homesick. Someone at the Earth station asked them a question as to what they feel like these days. One astronaut is quoted as saying:

“What are we dreaming about? Well, we want to put our feet on the ground again.” (The Indian Express, August 16, 1999)

These two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth after spending approximately six months travelling in space. After living around half a year in a state of weightlessness, they were dazed and awe-stricken. They could get very little sleep in space due to fear and bewilderment.

How God has made the Earth and put together favourable conditions here for human beings is a great blessing. In the known universe, no place is conducive for a creature like man to live in. Man can get an estimate of this great blessing from God when he is deprived of Earth, like the above-mentioned Soviet astronauts were, just as when, after remaining hungry for a long time, a person can realize the value of food.