Making a mountain out of a molehill.

I just got back from a long vacation in Scotland. My husband and I spent 14 days on a motorcycle making our way through the Scottish Highlands looking at some of God's most spectacular creations. At one point, after several days of being constantly bombarded by the beauty that surrounded us, I broke down and cried simply because I was so completely overwhelmed. For some reason this phrase kept coming to mind. "Making a mountain out of a molehill"... that's a phrase I grew up hearing. It means making a big deal out of nothing. And when I think of how God actually forms mountains- and how He forms us, that phrase takes on new meaning. He is making something BIG out of almost nothing all the time.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” ~Revelation 4:11

Here are the main ways that mountains formed.

By FOLD . When 2 tectonic plates collide and crumble upward.

When plates collide in our own lives—when stress, conflict, or unexpected trials press in from every side—our instinct is to avoid that pressure. But God uses these collisions to transform us. Under pressure, with His grace, we are folded, molded, and pushed upward. Instead of breaking, we are raised up, becoming stronger and more resilient than we were before.

By FAULT. When 1 plate slides under the other and forces the top plate upward. Sometimes our lives experience "fault lines" where everything shifts unexpectedly. Jobs change, relationships evolve, and major life events can completely undercut our sense of stability. But in the hands of the Creator, these shifts are not random destruction. The upward push of the rock reminds us that even when ground beneath us trembles , God can use the transformations to lift us to new heights, and provide us with a higher vantage point from which to trust.

By HEAT: When volcanic eruptions cool and build up a new surface.

Volcanoes remind us that the most beautiful, enduring peaks often rise directly out of fire and intense heat. In our spiritual journeys, the times of deepest testing... the biggest "eruptions" in our lives serve a holy purpose. God takes the hidden passions, pain, and fire we carry deep within us and brings them to the surface. Layer by layer, He refines our character, leaving behind a steadfast faith that stands firm on the landscape of our lives.

By EROSION: When the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, wind, or waves, and shaped over time.

The elements that wear away at a mountain look a lot like the trials of life that strip away our pride, our self-reliance, and the rest of our rough edges. While erosion can feel painful, even diminishing, it ultimately reveals what’s at our core. Just as wind and rain carve out breathtaking vistas and expose the solid foundation of the mountain, God uses the changing seasons of our lives to strip away the superficial, revealing the beautiful, resilient, FAITH FILLED masterpiece He created us to be.

"...for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. ~Matthew 17:20

This week I'm praying for the members of our community who feel like the pressure folding them... those who are experiencing unexpected shifts... those who feel like their lives are erupting with sudden change... and those who are feeling chipped away at by the constant grind of life. May the Lord use the strain, the rattle, the disruption, the agitation... to mold us, to form us, to elevate us. May each of us serve one another, serve our neighbors, ease each other’s tension and encourage one another to new heights. And may the creator of all things, the one who forms the mountains and builds our faith, the one who makes all things possible and in whom we have our very bring, May HE receive glory and honor and power~amen