I’m just wondering if there was a blue moon recently because something happened to me that only happens once in a blue moon.

It is rare for me to get all green lights traveling from my home to work, but Thursday morning it happened. 

I can’t even tell you the last time it happened, so it truly was a once-in-a-blue-moon experience. In fact, I would say that the traffic lights going all green for me was more of a blue moon than the real thing. 

I don’t know who came up with the name “blue moon” but, for starters, when it happens it’s not even blue. In fact, for the moon to appear blue, the earth’s atmosphere has to contain dust or smoke particles of a certain size … just a little bigger than 900 nanometers. 

… Don’t even try to find nanometers on your tape measure.

But the crazy thing is they don’t even use that fact to determine whether there is a blue moon or not. Experts say a blue moon is when you have two full moons in a calendar month. The second is called a blue moon.

And this happens more than you think. 

You’d think that this only happens once in a blue moon but there was one last year. Before that there were two – yes, two in 2018! There was one in 2015 as well. 

So these calendar blue moons come along every couple of years. 

But hold on, that’s not the only definition of a blue moon. They also refer to a blue moon when there are four full moons in a season. The third one is called a blue moon. 

A seasonal blue moon happens every few years. There is one of those scheduled for this coming August.

Now the next time we will have a calendar blue moon and a seasonal blue moon in the same year, well, that won’t happen until 2048.

To me, that is a true blue moon … well, without the moon actually being blue. I might still be around for that one, but my eyesight may not be that great. 

On Thursday the particles in the atmosphere must have been the right size because I have to travel through fifteen traffic lights over an eight kilometre distance to get to work. 

This phenomenon did take place at 6:15 am with very light traffic on the road, but still, I guess the cars were the particles and they were just the right size.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn into a traffic-stronomer or something. I won’t be looking intently for the traffic lights to line up again like they did the other day.

I just hope I don’t have to wait until 2048 to experience it again. 

Here’s the thing: In the Bible Jesus said He was coming back. His disciples believed it and you get the sense from reading the New Testament that they thought He was coming back soon. Every generation since has thought this could be the time when Jesus returns. If there ever was a once-in-a-blue-moon experience it is the second coming of Christ. I think Jesus said it the way He did because He wanted us to be waiting, looking and ready for Him to come. More than ever before, we should be ready and prepared for Christ’s second coming. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you experienced that only happens once in a blue moon? Leave your comments and questions below.

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