It’s easy to hear God’s voice and see His hand at work from a mountaintop. However, it can be far more challenging to tune my heart to hear His voice in my own crabgrass-speckled back yard.
I am blessed to live at the base of a small mountain. Breathtaking views of the peaks and valleys of the San Ramon Valley and beyond are just minutes away from my home. On a clear day, I can drive up this mountain and see the Golden Gate bridge over 60 miles to the west in the San Francisco Bay. Some say you can even catch a partial glimpse of Yosemite’s Half Dome, over 130 miles to the east.
Despite the close proximity, our family hikes the trails of this beautiful area far less often than we would like. While a mountaintop experience could be an everyday occurrence, perhaps some of the awe and wonder would be stripped away if we lived on the heights of this mountain, instead of at the base.
And yet, as I look around me, I realize that striving for a mountaintop experience may cause me to miss out on the beauty surrounding me here in the valley. For instance, the daffodils in our front yard have blossomed. How magical it is for this Midwestern girl to live in a place where flowers bloom in February!
Furthermore, it seems that in every one of our homes the inhabitants before us have planted daffodils in the yard. No matter how many moves, transitions, and changes our family has experienced, in the spring, we are treated to the sunny sight of these jaunty blooms.
Nothing brightened my heart more after a long, bitter, Midwestern winter than the sight of dirt-encrusted snow melting away to be replaced by cheery, lemon-yellow daffodils. California winters bring much-needed rain and the welcome sight of lush, green grass. However, even in this landscape, the appearance of these sweet flowers continues to bring the joy of the promise of spring to my soul each year. They are a precious reminder from my Heavenly Father that no matter where I go, He is with me. And they are right in front of me, no mountain escape needed.
“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” Genesis 28:15
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminders that You are with me no matter where I may go. Thank you that I can see Your hand just as easily in my own backyard as I can from the mountaintop, if only I look for it. Amen.
Where have you seen God’s hand or heard His voice? Comment below for a chance to win my favorite prayer journal.