Moles and Problem Solving

About a week ago I was in a hardware store near my home. As I walked through the store gathering the supplies I needed a man entered and asked the store manager what to do about moles. Apparently the small rodents were making a mess of his yard and he wanted to eliminate them as soon as possible. I listened as a series of possible solutions were discussed. I learned that it is illegal to kill moles with poison as they are protected by state law. I learned that it can be difficult to use mole traps to capture the creatures and I learned that a 85 cent pack of Starburst candy will attract the mole and then effectively clog his digestive system eventually causing death. Later as I spoke with a neighbor about the mole phenomena he provided an alternative solution. He offered that most people believe that capturing the mole is the problem, he suggested that if you eliminate the moles food supply, often grubs and other small insects which live in the yard, then the moles will disappear. A I listened I knew there was wisdom to be gleaned from this scenario.

In our journey to fulfill our calling we often react to problems we face without considering the reality that God desires to use that situation to help us develop our problem solving ability. Like the man who went into the hardware store we want a quick solution that will make our lives easier. One of the main areas of illegitimacy that God is dealing with in our generation is our ability to solve problems. We live in a culture of quick fixes fascinated with disposable products which are often discarded after a few uses. Consequently we have become a people who move away from problems rather then toward them. In fact in many cases we have slowly, subtly yet surely developed a theology that suggests we are “off track” when we encounter difficulties which seem to be beyond our realm of ability. Presently God is dealing with this issue in many of our lives.

I want to encourage you today to seek God for creativity and wisdom as you move toward the problems you are facing. Perhaps you are dealing with a troubling relationship at work or in your family. Maybe you are struggling to know how to parent one of your children. It may even be that God has provided a problem in your home like a faulty downspout, an electrical problem or a leaky faucet to teach you about His creativity and the reality that you have been created to be a problem-solver. While this may seem simple I believe it is actually the wisdom of God to use such basic situations as He seeks to move the Church from being a group of people focused primarily on discussing problems to becoming a group of people who are solution oriented, who learn to anticipate the process of solving the problems they face knowing that God is developing something profound within them through the process. Those who learn to approach life in this way will be a source of light and life to those around them and they will equip others to do the same.

So regardless of the size or nature of the problem you are facing today – embrace it – ask God for wisdom – and dig down deep to find the resolve you didn’t believe you had – it is in there – you can do it! Simultaneously recognize that God is Fathering you – He is in the process of helping you to identify gifts and abilities within you that you didn’t know that you had. Smile and enjoy the process and the goodness of God!