My moles have returned!

     I thought they were gone and that those in surrounding properties were under control.  Boy was I wrong.  Fresh mounds of dirt are appearing on my lawns and now I need to return to my war against the moles!  While I am sure that moles serve a purpose, I'm not sure I like that purpose.  I can say that a dead mole is a good mole!  In my war against the moles I do not go to the extremes shown in the movie Caddyshack.  I bomb or trap them.  Both methods kill them.  I do not catch and release moles.  That would be a very unwise thing to do.  While I am vigilant in my quest to keep moles from my front lawn; the further away you get from the front lawn the less I address the problem.  Out of sight and out of mind.  It's the first impression that people make which seems most important to us.  We make these kinds of judgements all the time.  "Look at his moles!  He obviously doesn't know how to get rid of them."  I rank moles right up there with spiders.  I know spiders also have a purpose and yet I don't want them to exercise their purpose inside of my home. 
     In many ways my war on moles (and spiders) is reflected in my life.  The "mole" is replaced with "sin" and there you have it.  Thinking myself to be wise I feel safe that this particular sin hasn't reared it's ugly head for a while.  Mind you, that sin hasn't gone away.  It's been there under the surface for a long time and is waiting for just the right time to remind me that I haven't been diligent in dealing with the sin in the first place.  I call it "hedging my bet."  I admit I have sin.  I confess that sin.  I turn from that sin.  Then I put it in a suitcase and carry it with me.  My moles do the same thing.  After all, why build another network of tunnels when their predecessor has left perfectly good tunnels for them to enter and begin a new dynasty?  Moles do what moles were designed to do whether I am hunting them or not.  Sin does whatever it I let it do.  My point of dilemma comes when I don't allow that sin to be eradicated from my life in the first place.  Maybe I get some kind of validation when I hunt moles that says I'm a good hunter.  So, why do I shy away from the validation that I am a man after God's own heart when I hold onto sin?
     Though I don't like it, I can tolerate moles for short bursts of time.  God cannot do the same with my sin.  I'm reminded that when bleeding happens in the brain the blood acts like an acid destroying brain tissue.  Maybe this is an extreme example but that's the way it is with moles and sin alike.  If we engage in sin that sin continues to grow and have a life of its own.  If I let the moles remain where they are they develop community and have families which know only to burrow tunnels and leave mounds on what they consider their lawn.  Both are destructive forces.  My lawn, like my life, is littered with destruction from both.  When I mow my lawn I bounce over collapsed tunnels and piles of dirt.  When I walk through life my sin shows up in the way I have sinned against God and others.  The difference between the two is found in God's intention.  God has a reason for his moles.  God also has a reason for the lessons in my life.  I've left collapsed tunnels and mounds pretty much everywhere I've gone.  It wasn't what God wanted.  It is what I have created.  I'm fortunate that God hasn't set about to eradicate me! 
     God sees purpose and potential in my surrendered life to him.  He does for you too.