Mountains and Mole Hills –  See.  Perceive.  Act.

My parents used to say, former procrastinators, “You’re making a mountain out of a mole hill.”  That meant we were making a bigger deal out of something than it really was.  Cutting the grass at our house did not take all day.  It took half.  Walking to school was a reasonable expectation.  Helping with dishes was not an onerous duty.

Feeling overwhelmed by the job we face is the next problem we take on.  First, an attitude check.  Sometimes our attitude is more overwhelming than the task.  Be careful not to exaggerate the job.  So, it’s big.  Don’t handicap yourself by blowing it out of proportion.  Dwelling on the size or difficulty of the task makes it more unpleasant and pushes us to walk away.  Delay increases the burden.   

Whining (even just to ourselves) pulls us down and pleases the enemy.  Making too much of a job makes us mental and emotional captives to wrong thinking.  We know who likes that. And if we’re captive, we’re not free to act.

Someone puts off unloading the dishwasher because she dislikes giving that chore fifteen minutes of her life.  Fifteen minutes?  That’s a “mole hill job” viewed as a mountain.

Set your mind on God’s strength and the joy that lies ahead when the job is done.  See, perceive, and act in reality.  Don’t imagine monsters that don’t exist.  Confess to the Lord, ask for His perspective, and begin step one.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:19)

You recall the silly question, how do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time. Well, that would be true.

We see the bedroom – stacks of boxes, piles of clothes, and layers of mystery items dumped here for years.  We perceive that turning this room into a guest room will take a massive amount of effort.  We act – close the door and walk away.  No!  We diligent women see the mess.  We perceive that it will take time and effort, but we’re confident God will strengthen us to make decisions, move the “mountain,” and persevere to victory.  We act by trusting Him and picking up the first item.  This will become a lovely guestroom.

Are there twelve modules in that course?  Don’t despair.  You’re not taking twelve right now, just one.  Keep going and you will earn twelve certificates of completion.  One at a time.

The job you face may not be as small as a hump in the ground made by a little critter.  But likely, it’s not an insurmountable mountain either.  We deal with the large and the small the same way.  One step at a time.  We have a Source of strength and wisdom who lights the path for us and delights in our victories.

What “mole hill job” have you blown up into a mountain?