By Samantha McKenzie

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”  Matthew 17:20

I used to carry around a mustard seed in my wallet many years ago. I wrapped it in a small tissue and tucked it away in the slit of my wallet. Every time, I reached into my wallet, I’d see it there in the corner. It was my way of reminding myself to keep my focus and to hold on to my faith.

Jesus could have used anything to describe this principle of faith. But instead, he chose to use one of the tiniest things to illustrate a really big message: If we would just have faith, the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains.

A mustard seed. It starts out small but grows into something greater. It has the potential to expand, just as we do.

Faith and hope and belief, all words that call on us to use our conviction and our patience to see the fruits of our labor materialize. We are reminded through this parable that puzzles come in pieces. Faith is about taking small steps. It’s about trusting in something, even when we can’t see the whole picture. Faith is a promise that each small feat can lead to greater things. And that faith, like mustard seeds, grow with each effort we take towards it. 

“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.” Blaise Pascal

I eventually lost that old wallet and the mustard seed that I carried in it. But I learned to live without the symbolism that it represented. Today , I renew my faith and trust that each obstacle that I face will be removed. My goals each day are to nurture my faith, grow in my belief and push through any difficulties that come my way.