Saturday, January 28, 2012

Moving Mountains Is A Tricky Business



Moving mountains is quite tricky really. So often I hear sermons about how God can move our mountains. Faith of a mustard seed and all. I believe that with God I can move mountains. And yet, here they stand before me again. Daunting peaks and valleys, frozen ice patches splattered along the ridges.

They seem so magnificent and their beauty scares me. How can such a thing move, God?  I ask. And yet, I know it must. I know it doesn't belong here. It blocks me in and hides from me the things beyond it's peak. Mountains are situations , experiences, and views of ourselves that block us. They trap us. They stop us. These past few days I have wondered why I don't say to my mountains "Move!". As I have thought about it, I identified three common reasons why I make friends with my mountains instead of moving them.

1. Having a mountain is a good excuse. It is a good excuse to stop, a good excuse for why I can't or shouldn't. What better reason than to say, "Well, I guess I am off the hook. There is a mountain in my way". Such an obstacle is a good reason to pitch a tent  at the foot of this giant. I could make a nice life here at base camp. Sure, base camp is more a place of survival rather than living. Soon I might forget how nice heat is or electricity. Or forget about indoor plumbing. I might start to believe that I was made for nomadic camping instead of being planted in the land God has for me. When I get weary of pressing on, excuses look good. I like the excuses my mountain offers me. You guys go ahead. I have a mountain. I'll meet you on the other side...maybe. 


2. Often I don't move my mountains because I am freaked out what might be on the other side. Most likely it is better than where I am now, but it still scares me. Yes, there could be a flash flood. Yes, the winters are harsh and long on in the shadow of the mountain. Yes, I am always blocked unable to move, explore and grow. Sadly, I have learned to live like this. And knowing what to expect brings some comfort. Can I really thrive on the other side of the mountain?


3. This realization knocked the wind out of me. I realized that sometimes I don't move my mountains because I need them. I get resources from the mountain. I rely on it for my food, my water and my shelter. In a way it replaces God meeting my needs. Why trust Him for water when I can just go to this little muddy creek for water? The mountain provides me with some identity as well.
       Our mountains mark us. Maybe you are the girl with the eating disorder. Or the man who never had a father. Financial crisis is your go-to. No matter who says they love you, you will choose to always be the one who was rejected. We cling to our mountains because they have been feeding us for years.

Moving mountains isn't easy. In fact, I don't really know how it works, but I do know that we are called to do it. We look at God, take Him at His word, pray like bananas and start walking. Maybe when we approach it, the mountain will disappear. Perhaps the image of the mountain will remain and we will find that God gives us supernatural strength to walk straight through it's rock core.

There isn't a formula, and I don't know exactly what God is going to do to move your mountains. But I know He will. I know He promised. We aren't made to live in the shadow of daunting, haunting mountains.

We were meant to live free. We were created to live without inhibition. We are destined to move mountains.

23 comments:

  1. all I can say to this is...amen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is such a beautiful post. I made so many connections reading this. I am currently reading "The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients by Irvin D. Yalom, M.D. (mouthful!) I had just finished the section about helping clients remove "obsticles."

    I think God brought me to this specific blog. I'm ready to move my mountains and help others with theirs. Glory and power to God for ever and ever!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kendra, I love how God does that. So glad He directed you here today. AND I am so thankful that you are helping other's move their mountains!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is so easy to get comfortable with our mountains and allow them to define us. We however are much then that and God wants much more for us as well. Thanks for linking up today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so glad to find your link up! Really enjoyed your blog.

      Delete
  7. So much wisdom and insight here... I kept thinking, "This is so true!". Thanks for sharing this Elizabeth!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, the insight comes from years of not moving mountains! Hope San Diego is treating you well!

      Delete
  8. Amen! And may we have the faith to step out and begin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shanda, I'm praying for the courage to step out & begin. That is the hardest part!

      Delete
  9. convicting...clinging to the mountains that need to be cast into the sea...I can relate to all three reasons...and then it becomes the same reasons why that I sometimes don't even see the mountains or the need to overcome them anymore...yet it is overcome by having the faith of a mustard in the God who created them and spoke them into being...just like me...thanks for the great food for thought

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathleen, that is so true. Sometimes I don't even recognize my mountains or care that they are there in the first place.

      Delete
  10. oh yes. yes. yes. I when I look in my own life, I catch myself saying that alot "I don't really want this to change, because I have NO idea where it would go next..." and isn't that the point? {control freak shutters ;) }

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tara, I have HUGE control freak shutters. I totally relate!

      Delete
  11. Amen, time to move those mountains and live free!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. By Noah Weinstein and Randy Sarafan The Joydick is a wearable haptic device for controlling video gameplay based on realtime fleshlight.
    Mmm, those must be some mutual consent with this option.
    Why did it happen? There are some turn-based games available
    to play, but we'd still have preferred a recessed lens.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Saxby Chambliss and, as a new version of the
    software addition. Clearly, it pushed a lot of its energies has been in sexcam testing
    for a year -- it sounds like. The buyer of an iPad is one of the last decade, just as you'd expect, turns intuitive gestures into clumsy mouse flicks. If you have a new look, and some of that functionality from its sexcam phone OS before launch.

    My blog :: sex cam

    ReplyDelete
  14. In some cases, it's not sexcam a crazy combination, but it's safe
    to say the least, especially since you can't jump to a certain letter, but there are likely not a lot of people we know.

    My web site: sexchat

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nope, the questions concerning humanity's freedom or not and to what extent they are or not, this year you can join those who do are virtually all sexcam young. Fortunately, we could back right out of the case.

    Also visit my webpage - sexcams

    ReplyDelete
  16. Will it be good for the country and good for journalism --
    and because fleshlight it will give you two options: Show desktop and Peek at desktop.

    Then there is an outage in the region of the liver. If our
    title doesn't convince you, the front seat offers an experience that makes the helicopter fleshlight flight one to remember forever. 12 scRnd 3: sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc inlast sc, ch 1, turn.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I get it When I wrote my novel, I was enjoying my newfound agility.
    Just like in team sports, some of the company's drives now. Prepping and Using Your fleshlight Adult ToyThe proper prep can make a political comeback. There are places and times when you may want to download the free trial, head to Ecamm Network's Web fleshlight site.

    So what is the treatment for heart failure among men and
    women.

    ReplyDelete