Some mountains aren't meant for moving.

Ever had one of "those days?"

You know the ones I'm talking about.  The ones that make you just want to give up.  I've had a few in the last couple of weeks.  I even wondered last Wednesday if I can finish Student-Teaching.  I was dead tired; drained physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually.  It seemed that God had put a mountain in my path that I could not move.  And then, in the back of my mind at half-past midnight, as Meg was giving me a much needed pep-talk, I hear this little voice: "maybe you're not supposed to move this mountain."

So, I found this verse and "chewed on it" for a couple of days.  I sat down last night after finishing my work for the day and got to composing.  And here is what happened.

Mountains:

He replied, “Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, 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

On August 27, 1883, a small island in Indonesia literally blasted itself into oblivion.  This volcanic explosion was the largest explosion ever.  Way bigger than “Little Boy,” about 16,000 times bigger.

That’s the sort of power the Jesus is describing here.  I’m not sure what the conversion between mustard seeds and the standard faith measuring units are, but its implied to be pretty small.  Even this most miniscule measure of faith has enormous power.  More even than the largest explosion in history.

Just imagine walking up to Mount Everest and saying “get outta here you pebble!”  With an impossibly loud groan, 357 trillion pounds of rock rips itself from the Earth and is violently tossed away.  Luke Skywalker, eat your heart out.

But what about when the mountain doesn’t get out of your way?

Obviously the “mountain” Jesus mentions is not a literal mountain, despite standing not even a mile away from the Transfiguration site.  Some of the “mountains” we have to face may be things like illness.

In cases like this, often the first thing we do is pray.  We want God to take our challenge away and make life easy for us.  We want Him to say “yes, I’ll get rid of it.”

Sometimes the answer is: “Not gonna do it this time, kid.  This isn’t a mountain you’re meant to move.  Now go get your good shoes and start climbing.”

Father,

Sometimes you allow mountains to block our path.  Help us to understand why, whether we are to wait for You move them or to climb them.  But especially remind us that whichever You require, it is Your will, not ours.

Amen