Years ago I read part of a book (I think it was by C.S. Lewis) that emphasized God’s involvement in the mundane as well as the miraculous. As an illustration, he pointed out how we’re left in awe by the multiplication of loaves and fish but not by the growth of wheat. Likewise, we’re fascinated with the turning of water into wine but are blind to God’s glory in producing grapes from the earth. This came to mind because, during the last 3 days, I’ve been privileged to see the glory of God in the most ordinary of settings.
Last Saturday Silas and I planted nine different kinds of seeds in tiny pots to see which Western vegetables might grow well in our soil and climate. Tuesday morning Silas excitedly pointed out that 6 of the pots had seeds that began germinating. (Okay, what he actually said was, “Daddy, the seeds turned into plants! The ones that Silas and Daddy planted!”) By Tuesday afternoon, the beans sprouts were already 2 inches tall. By Wednesday afternoon, the sprouts were 8 inches tall and by Thursday afternoon they had reached at least 12 inches. As I stared at the seedlings, I found myself shaking my head in near disbelief. I had just witnessed a miracle.
Admittedly, on some level, I wasn’t surprised to see plants growing in those 6 pots. Some of my earliest memories are of my father gardening in our backyard. In addition, I’ve been a biology nerd since high school and even chose it as my major in college. And of course, I was the one who planted the seeds so I must have expected them to grow. So why did this move me so profoundly? How did observing bean sprouts become a sacramental experience?
The only way I can make sense of this is to credit the Holy Spirit. I chalk this up to an experience of illumination, only it was of creation rather than the Scriptures. God, through his creation, was opening my eyes anew to his life giving presence in the seeming ordinariness of the everyday. It was a gracious reminder that God is not only the God of the extraordinary. He is also the God of the ordinary.
Now, if I can learn to keep my eyes open, I may yet see another of His ordinary miracles.
Post a Comment