When I was a kid, digital radio dials were just barely coming on the scene. I still remember adjusting antennas and dials to get just the right song coming out of the speakers. I learned that if I stood in one part of the house, I could use my radio more efficiently than other times. Some spaces in the house were completely out of range and if I found myself in one of those black holes, I would have to wait to move back to the area where I could hear the radio again.
I often think of my faith like an old fashioned radio dial.
There are days when I feel completely tuned in. Days when even my day doesn’t go as planned, I recognize God at work in the world. Seeing a baby smile, getting lost and then finding a new restaurant, discovering connections while listening to folks share their stories. Sometimes I just have to stop in my tracks and recognize that this too, is holy ground.
But just like with my old radio, I find that there are times and spaces where I simply cannot access the channel. When I find that I can no longer hear the frequency that God is broadcasting at, I go to church. It’s here that I can share with others how lost I am, how out of touch and tune I am. Then the community responds and helps me tune back into God.
Or, if it’s not the right time to go to church, I read the Bible. In the Bible, Psalms are full of people crying out to God from their space of darkness, looking for the light. Other Psalms come from a place of rejoicing. God is here and at work in the world!
I am so thankful for the community that surrounds me, the scripture that centers me, the tradition that reminds me that I am not the first to need to adjust my dial. I am thankful that even when I lose the connection, God waits patiently for me to tune back in.
What practices help you tune into where God is at work in the world?
Email me and share your story!
