Mountains, Molehills, and Everything Between

On By Danele RotharmelIn 2. Articles

trailridgeI have a tendency to make mountains out of molehills. What’s worse—I have an equally hideous tendency not to know the difference between them. I’m ashamed to admit it, but when something unexpected happens, I fly into panic mode. I begin making plans, contingency plans, and backup contingency plans on how to handle the situation. At night, I toss and turn, worrying about things that might go wrong. Needless to say, my actions aren’t bringing me any closer to my goal of becoming A PERSON OF PEACE.

Recently, as I was praying, I felt God bringing up this glaring flaw in my personality. At first, I tried defending myself to God. After that, I tried explaining myself to God. When that didn’t work, I tried explaining AND defending myself to God. When it was obvious by the conviction in my spirit that God wasn’t impressed, I finally shushed up, sat silently, and let God speak.

rock wallDeep down in my spirit, I began to see a vision. It wasn’t a weird, mystical thing—just a picture imprinted on my mind as I sat with my eyes closed. In the vision, I saw myself shoving against a mighty mountain made out of solid rock. I shoved, pushed, tugged, and sweat. I nearly broke my back.

The vision shifted, and I saw myself picking up a rock. As I carried it, I began running back-and-forth. I kept crossing the same stretch of ground over-and-over.

Again, the vision shifted. I saw God handing me a tiny pebble. I looked at the pebble, walked two steps, and placed it on the ground where He told me to put it.

After the vision stopped playing in my mind, I scratched my head and said, “What on earth did that mean?”

rock cliffDown deep in my spirit, I felt God smile. As I sat in an attitude of prayer, I felt Him explain that the first part of the vision represented the problems I had no control over.  Simply put, the mountain was things I could not change. In the vision, I was trying to push the mountain away, but I was getting nowhere. I was also putting stress on my body. Down in my spirit, I felt God say that I needed to stop fighting against the mountain and simply pray over it. God said that He was the Mountain Mover. He also said that I needed to stop worrying that the mountain was in my life.

After that, I felt God explain the second part of the vision. In the vision, I was carrying a rock back-and-forth. God said that many times I worried about things that didn’t matter. I was trying to stomp out fires that did not exist. I was carrying problems here-and-there in a futile effort to solve them. He said that I needed to ignore “non-event problems.” I needed to let them take care of themselves. I needed to stop fretting. All I was doing was wearing myself out, and I was getting nowhere.

pebbleAs I digested God’s words, I felt Him show me the third part of the vision again. In this part, God handed me a tiny pebble, I walked a little ways, and I placed it on the ground. I felt God explain that when I needed to address a problem, the problem would not overwhelm me. I would be able to carry it easily to its proper place. In other words, God would give me the wisdom to know what to do, and it wouldn’t be too hard for me to handle.

Sitting silently, I felt God telling me that I was burnt out, frazzled, and afraid because I was trying to move mountains He needed to take care of, and I was running back-and-forth fiddling with non-events. He said that when I walked through the day in communication with Him, He would show me which problems I needed to address, and He would tell me how to take care of them.

As I sat there, it was as if a light bulb turned on in my brain. I didn’t have the strength to move mountains. I didn’t have the stamina to keep running back-and-forth. But I could put one tiny pebble where God wanted it put.

Friends, I WANT to be a person of peace. I WANT to stop allowing worry to run my life. I know that I’m going to need practice, but hopefully, as I keep trying, I will be able to start classifying my problems as “God-mountains,” “non-events,” and “movable-pebbles.” Hopefully, I will be able to start putting things into perspective and stop making mountains out of molehills. If I do, I know that I will experience the peace that God wants me to have.

 

person on bluff“It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing…for God wants His loved ones to get their proper rest.” Psalm 127:2 (Living Bible)

12 thoughts on “Mountains, Molehills, and Everything Between”

  1. Janice

    I know what you mean, a lot of us are that way at times. Especially when it comes to things that really affect us. I am on short term from work now, I get scare I will have to go back to work before I am ready physically. I definitely understand. I need to learn the same thing.

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    1. Dear Janice, thank you so much for your wonderful comment! I will be praying for you, and please pray for me–and we will stand together in faith. I’m so glad that we can be prayer partners as well as friends! I hope you have a wonderful day! ❤

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  2. Talk about words that stick like stink…”I begin making plans, contingency plans, and backup contingency plans on how to handle the situation. At night, I toss and turn, worrying about things that might go wrong.” …hit me square in my soul.

    You nailed me, sweet sister. Last week there was a particularly difficult night where I was so frustrated with “what ifs” and you know what? None of my fears materialized. But my back sure hurt the next morning–tryin’ to move those mountains.

    I long to have God develop in me a gentle spirit…do you think there’s such a thing as a “sweet, gentle, Texas spirit?” Maybe I’m praying for the wrong thing…just that God would transform this ole Texas gal into what He wants me to be.

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  3. Kelly De Lance

    Oh my Danele! My problem is quite the opposite. I am waiting on God to remove the Mountain! My heart hurts because I am listening and praying and Waiting on the Lord. Been a horrible long wait. As I thought that the Mountain was a molehill and I could handle it fine. Not exactly what I had in mind. As I wait on God the Mountain is getting bigger each day. I Am Still before the Lord and WALKING IN FAITH! Not easy but it’s what I am going to do. Maybe one day the Lord will send me over this Mountain! Thanks for the reminder to count on God

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    1. Dear Kelly, waiting is SO INCREDIBLY HARD! I will keep you in my prayers, and please keep me in your prayers too! May this time of waiting in your life turn out to be a time of abundant blessing and incredible peace! May each day bring you closer to your answer and enable you to help those around you in unique ways. May this time of waiting end up opening doors that you never believed possible to open, and may God lead you into a time where blessings pile on top of blessings! May you look back on this time and be able to say with authority, “Romans 8:28 always proves true, and it proved true in this situation too.” Blessings upon you, Kelly! I am so glad that we are prayer partners and friends. ❤ May God bless you and keep you!

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  5. Pamela Pavkov

    I know this problem well! I use to be just like you and at work I was worried that others weren’t doing what is expected of them. One night I was so stressed I didn’t want to go to work the next day but I turned it over to the Lord and my insight was I can’t control what others do only myself so now I don’t worry about them they will do as they please! Work is not stressful anymore!

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  6. Amy

    WOW. I really needed to hear that today. Thank you for speaking to the heart of an issue and making a difference in my life! You are a blessing!

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