Right in Your Own Back Yard

Years ago, Russell Conwell told of an ancient Persian, Ali Hafed, who “owned a very large farm that had orchards, grain fields, and gardens... and was a wealthy contented man.” One day a man from the East told the farmer about the money to be made in diamonds and how much better off he would be if he owned a diamond mine. Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man—poor because he was discontented. Craving a mine of diamonds, he sold his farm to search for the rare stones. He traveled the world over, unsuccessful in his quest. At last poor, broken, and defeated, he committed suicide.

One day the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm led his camel into the garden to drink. As his camel put its nose into the brook, the man saw a flash of light from the sands of the stream. He pulled out a stone that reflected all the hues of the rainbow. The man had discovered what was soon to be called the Golcanda diamond mine, the most magnificent mine in all history. Had Ali Hafed remained at home and dug in his own garden, he would have had acres of diamonds. [1]

What Could We Mine from OUR Backyards?

Part of the fine art of living is to realize and appreciate what we already have, to discover the riches in our own backyards. How many times have we looked elsewhere for happiness, only to recognize later that it can most easily be found at home? Or thought that our “diamond mines” could be found by working more hours to make more money, only to realize they were really found in renewed efforts to appreciate family members and friends and make the most of time with them. How many times have we looked to others to provide for us what we could only provide for ourselves?

While most of us would admit that happiness is better than a diamond mine, sometimes we postpone being happy until circumstances improve, until the world quits encroaching on us so much, or until the economy improves. But sooner or later we learn that the happiness that sparkles like diamonds is really an inside job: we create it by our resilience in the face of trouble, by making the most of what we have, by the gratitude thoughts we choose to think, and the trust in God attitudes we make habitual.  

Sometimes the diamonds in our own backyard are almost literal: finding joy in the beauty and blessings already ours that we just need to open our eyes to notice. We can “mine” it by focusing our attention, really noticing, really appreciating. For example, one day my son Scott came over and took close-up pictures of flowers and other foliage in my yard. I was awestruck, to say the least. Even though I love flowers (enough to plant and care for them!), I realized I had rarely taken time to look at them closely; the wonder of their intricate details had escaped me. Now that I’m really looking, I think my own flowers are more beautiful than diamonds. When the pictures my son took come up on my computer as part of my screen-saver, I marvel anew that I could have so often overlooked the “diamonds” in my own yard. And I remind myself to find joy in the fact that I have a yard!

Are you overlooking diamonds in your backyard? Perhaps today is the day to go prospecting

[1] G. Sweeting, in May, 1988 Moody Monthly, p. 95.