If you could make a mountain by your own will, and with your own hands, WHY WOULDN'T YOU? So many times we take the easy route when confronted with problems - opportunities in disguise.
Mole hills mar our paths everyday, but so many times we take the easy route and chose not to control ourselves, our tempers, our words, or our actions, and we react negatively to the challenge. This is akin to a dog that curls its tail between its legs and runs away from danger. We must learn to face challenges and make the most of them.
If you imagine this life as climbing a mountain this may make the illustration easier to perceive. When confronted with a steep grade, or a rocky part of the mountain, would you turn around and give up if your ultimate goal is to summit the mountain - to get to the top? Well, our lives are exactly like that. We who have and exercise faith in a higher being should and must constantly strive to summit the mountain. When we turn from our challenges and try to find another way around, we end up finding ourselves further back down the mountain side - further from our ultimate goal. In this way we allow small obstacles (i.e. opportunities) to become mountains. But, when we continue on through the travails of life, we will find ourselves having made the mountain below us a little taller, and we will stand at a new height of understanding and clarity.
The Bible tells the story of the prophet Jonah. Even if you are not a Bible reader, you will probably know the story. He was called to share the word of God in a land that was known for not being very receptive to previous visits. When confronted with this mole hill, Jonah put his tail between his legs and refused to go. The Lord was angry with him and caused that the boat he was sailing on to almost capsize. Instead the angry crew members who learned of his bad decision, threw him overboard. He made a mountain for himself, and now it stood in his way. Then, he was swallowed by a whale, where he had a prophetic "coming of age." He learned that running away makes a whale of a mountain to stand in your way! But, when he finally decided to take courage and trust in God for his support, the mountain is what he stood upon. He completed the work which the Lord called him to do.
So, let us learn from the example of Jonah - we really don't have to experience everything in life on our own to learn that there is a better way. MAKE MOUNTAINS OUT OF MOLE HILLS! Learn to make them to be below you, and not before you, and you will go about this life doing good for others, not only for yourself.
-Spread the Good News
