If you could never travel more than one mile from your current location, would you ~ could you ~ still find God? Or is God only found in some remote, bigger-than-life experience?
The answer seems obvious in theory ~ that the Good News is meant to be touched and tasted, planted and cultivated in the everydayness of life ~ but at least for me, it’s tempting to ignore the daily miracles around me and long instead only for Lightning Bolt moments. I want the Divine to clunk me on the head, not require a surgery to correct my soul’s myopia.
But in as much as we are called to put our faith in The-One-Bigger-Than-What-We-Could-Ever-Imagine, it seems to me that we are equally called to see that which is miraculous in the daily. A backyard faith, as it were.
If so, then God Sightings have the potential to show up anywhere, anytime. A relationship mended. An unexpected financial provision. An encouraging word at the right moment. A sense of peace and protection that belies a difficult circumstance.
Not only these things, important as they are. God also seems to delight in revealing glimpses of Himself just outside the door. The artistry of a bright green frog against the backdrop of decaying leaves. The gravity-defying launch of a fuzzy, multi-legged creature. The faithful attendance of a mother bird to her young. The cute-at-a-distance pose of the local neighborhood mouse.
These wonders are small enough to fit within the palm of my hand, but in God’s economy, they become much more than that. Here, within 20 feet of my window, the backyard becomes a Holy Classroom, proclaiming the many miracles of God’s creativity and power, imagination and provision.
My spiritual eyes will most likely need corrective lenses my entire life...I still long for Big Moments mixed in with the daily...but how grateful I am that God is not limited by my own personal limitations. He is faithful to show up, if only I stay alert.
For backyard faith,
Lisa
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