Faith and Mountains

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

Mountains

When my husband and I were young and newly married, the Army moved us to Hawaii. For three and half years on Oahu, I lived with a mountain right outside my door. Recently, my husband took the kids and me back to visit. Although the actual housing in which we had lived no longer stands, that gorgeous mountain does. I loved watching the mountain at sunset, the glow from the sky reflecting off the green ridges, emitting warmth and tranquility. I never climbed on its side, nor learned how it formed or when. Some days, I took the mountain for granted, not even noticing it as I pushed the girls on the swing and casually conversed with my neighbors. Yet still to this day, that mountain rises majestically to the sky just outside what once was my lanai door. 

Faith

In those early years of adulthood and marriage, my faith was growing slowly. God was pursuing me, placing wonderful women in my path who would lead me closer to Him, particularly by their dedication to my children. Beth, a Christian woman and nurse who was present for the birth of two girls, is the godmother of Alexis. Donna, a neighbor devoted to her Catholic faith, encouraged me to attend church routinely and is also the godmother of Joslyn. (And the reason I bled green as a girl scout leader for 12 years, but that is a story by itself!) Both of these ladies had a major impact upon my blossoming relationship with the Lord and the faith future of our family.  Time has only magnified their role.

Mountains and Faith

Funny thing about mountains, as beautiful as they are to gaze upon, their height blocks your view of the horizon. That mountain in the backyard was not the only mountain in my young life. I had some major peaks to conquer as an Army wife, college graduate seeking a career and identity, a counselor in a domestic violence shelter, and a mother of three who struggled with detachment issues. Because my faith was nowhere near the size of a mustard seed, barking orders for them to 'move from here to there' did not work, and actually only frustrated me and wore down my husband. 

I had no clue that what I needed was to increase my faith through a solid relationship with Jesus Christ. Seeking Him was not my top priority: I was my top priority...how hard it was on me married to a soldier and trying to raise three small children; how difficult I found it to work a job and miss my baby take her first steps or put my kindergartener in after-school care; how internally I battled with the desire for a career and identity outside the home all the while wanting nothing more than to hold and play with my kids all day. Me, me, me. Instead of turning to the Father in prayer, I relied upon my own reason and strength to move these mountains. Guess what? They did not budge, and I wore out both myself and my family in the effort.   

Faith and Mountains 

Just as that Hawaiian mountain still towers today, the mountains in my life also stand. Yes, the children are older, but I am still a mother supporting and pouring into them. I rarely work for pay outside the home, but I volunteer countless hours in a week. The battle still rages within when I reflect upon former desires for a recognizable career. Furthermore, new mountains have formed over the years: my husband changed careers but we still endured years of physical separation, including two deployments into war zones. Medical emergencies and tragedies have threatened my children and family members. We have moved homes fourteen times. 

That tiny speck of faith that God planted early in my life and that Beth and Donna nurtured in Hawaii has  grown immensely by His grace and by the loving hearts of innumerable women I have been blessed to call girlfriends. Today, I can confidently speak to the power and wisdom Jesus imparts in Matthew 17:20: Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 

I have moved mountains. I have learned to find beauty in each rising challenge, yet I know that I need to see the horizon that the mountain obscures. With faith probably not much larger than a mustard seed at times, I consult my Father in Heaven when immovable obstacles arise. Through His strength, not mine, I tackle problems and through His wisdom, I arrive at solutions. The process is often slow, as God's timing doesn't run by my watch. Sometimes patience is my dolly; I strap on grace, mercy, joy, and forgiveness. Other times humbleness is my handcart, rolling on wheels of love and self-control. But I never call in the moving truck without first consulting the Holy Spirit in prayer, for by Him all these fruits are given. I am never disappointed or discouraged when I believe that just as God created that mountain in Hawaii and placed it there for me to enjoy, He is also the artistic Creator of my life. I face the mountains, but I also believe in my faith through Christ to move them. 

How about you, Girlfriends? What mountains stand in your backyard today? Are you battered and worn down from trying to move them  by yourself? Has your family suffered because you cannot take your eyes off the mountains?  Or have you been gazing upon them for years, enjoying the view but oblivious of what lies beyond? And what about your faith? Do you believe that you can conquer all things through Christ, who suffered, died, and rose to new life to forgive your sins? Are you seeking a relationship with Him, the greatest Mover of all times? I pray today that you will take time to gaze upon His glory, seek His love, and ask His forgiveness. Together, you can move mountains!

Love you Girlfriends!