I’m taking a quick break
from the “Lessons from Warren” series with this brief post. I must admit I’ve been in a bit of a
spiritual rut recently… feeling dry and spent… too little time, too few hands,
and not enough manna from above. I know
we all feel this way at times –and everyone says it is normal – but it still
isn’t fun or where I want to hang out for long.
(For some encouraging insights on this topic, check out the recent posts
on my friend Elizabeth’s blog.)
So here is the honest
truth: the last 5 and a half years have taken a toll on my faith. Yes, at times it feels it has deepened,
matured, and grown. Certainly, it has
been stretched and challenged in ways I never anticipated. But oftentimes, I simply feel I’ve been left
with a depleted faith that is left wanting.
I found myself discouraged
two nights ago, so desperately wishing my faith exceeded my circumstances. To be able to prove to the Lord that my faith
is bigger than what I have faced or continue to face in my life, both the big
and also the seemingly small trials.
Additionally, and perhaps selfishly, I just wanted to feel Him—to have
that warm and fuzzy, Abba Father, mountaintop experience.
In that low moment, almost
as a whisper, the Lord impressed upon my heart that it wasn’t the size of my
faith that mattered but in Whom my
faith rested. It can be as tiny and
trivial as a mustard seed.
We really cannot prove
anything to Jesus, for without Him we would be nothing. He has proven it to
us. As we are reminded this Holy Weekend, Jesus paid the
price. Because of Him, the size of our faith is
inconsequential. Yet, it is the object of our faith, Jesus Himself, that makes
the difference. He doesn’t change. He remains big enough… larger than our
circumstances and large enough to carry us when our feeble faith falters.
“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 17:20-21
Daniel also enjoyed the lake! |
Our boys! Gotta love a camo/monogram combo!