Comfortable Projects

“Break up your hard soil, because it’s time to seek the Eternal.” (Hosea 10:12 VOICE)

On a Saturday morning, I was running through the neighborhood as I do every day. During winter, there are very few people outdoors. There was a dusting of snow overnight. It was sunny and the snow would most likely melt by the afternoon. Thus, I was surprised at how many neighbors were out clearing their driveways. I hadn’t seen this level of eagerness when we had storms that dumped several feet of snow. Why? Because it is hard to shovel unplowed, packed, heavy snow. That day the snow was light and easy to remove. It was a weekend, and there was not much else going on. The weather was nice for a winter day. Clearing a driveway under these conditions was a relatively easy project, and it made people feel useful.

Most of us are eager to do comfortable work that gives immediate satisfaction. However, we are reluctant to tackle frustrating, long-term tasks that bring no recognition or pleasure. We put off difficult conversations, ignore harmful habits, overlook complex issues, and defer unpleasant duties. Why? Because it is hard. Whatever we do is likely to end up feeling unsatisfactory. Thus, we look around and pick something else to do that brings immediate gratification and a sense of usefulness. Unless we break up the hard soil, unless we tackle the uncomfortable parts of our lives, we miss out on that which has eternal value.