Plant your roots in Christ and let Him be the foundation for your life.     Colossians 2:7

Prayer Path with a mole tunnel running underneath.

I spent a lot of time at the Prayer Path last month, spring cleaning after that crazy winter. We finally got it looking great when some moles started burrowing everywhere, creating tunnels underground that left raised soil meandering all through the labyrinth.

I was so frustrated! I was ready to drop dynamite down their holes like Bill Murray’s character in Caddy Shack. Then a friend pointed out the good the moles were doing.

She said that, in our case, the moles were actually helping. By them digging tunnels all under the Prayer Path, they were cutting all the weeds at their roots. Once she explained that to me, my attitude changed completely. The critters that everyone else wants to get rid of are now welcome at our Prayer Path!

We all have moles in our lives. Right when we’re growing roots into a new endeavor or a new way of thinking, a problem arises that cuts the roots right out from under us. Our reaction ranges from annoyed, to downright devastated, depending on how much it meant to us. But if we look at the problem differently, is there a possibility it’s actually doing us good?

If our endeavor was more rooted in our ego than in glorifying God, can those cut-roots help us realize we planted things in the wrong soil? If our new way of thinking made us vulnerable to bad choices, can those cut-roots help us realize we never should have planted that thought to begin with? If our focus is more self-serving than serving others, can those cut-roots help us see we were nurturing things all wrong?

I, for one, tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to problems, immediately labeling them as “terrible.” Fortunately, I have some wise people in my life who shift my perspective, helping me see that God always weaves good into everything.

Questions for Reflection:

     * Have problems arisen lately that have cut the roots right out from under me?

     * Is it possible that those problems may have some good in them if I just look at them differently?

If you enjoyed reading this post, click here to vote for me on the Top Mommy Blog directory. You can vote as often as once a day. Thank you SO much!!!