Everything Felt Big and Daunting.

As a new mom, I was beside myself. There were so many things I longed to impart on my children as they grew. Faith was at the top of the list. Overwhelm consumed me, as I considered how to go about such an enormous task of raising faith-filled children who loved God. 

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Matthew 17:20

God says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed.

My husband and I were truly figuring out our faith walks ourselves. We felt inept in making it the foundation of our family. 

As a perfectionist, I assumed there was one correct way and anything less wasn’t good enough. I’d read blogs, books, and resources and set my plan. We’d figure out this faith-based way with a solid schedule of prayer and devotions. Certainly not a bad endeavor, yet my heart had no flexibility.

Unfortunately, the minute I messed up (in my eyes) or it felt too hard I was discouraged feeling defeated. The defeat caused me to quit consistently until the seed God originally planted soared back like a gush of wind. I’d find another book to read and again dive in. This was a vicious cycle of defeat, discouragement, and even depression. 

My perfection ate up my joy like the plague. 

God says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed.

What I didn’t understand is God does not expect perfection out of me, my family or you.

Christ came to redeem us and we don’t have to figure it all out in one day, one month or one year. 

Thankfully, all I needed was a faith the size of a mustard seed. The tiniest of faith and desire in my heart he could work with. My seed needed a daily drink of water and a heart open to God planting new things in my life. 

When we know God is asking us to grow, we must trust that he planted the seed in our hearts. He will slowly mold, shape, and conform us in his image with our willing steps forward. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to walking a faith-based life. There are no guarantees that everything will turn out as we plan. Faith is a journey not a finish line we accomplish. There’s no perfect way. I’m not perfect, my family is not perfect and life is not perfect. 

God says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed.

A mustard seed is the tiniest of seeds, yet they grow large. Our faith may feel small or nonexistent. Allow God to plant a seed of faith in your heart, in your marriage and in your family and he will use the tiny seed planted to grow something beautiful in your life (not perfect). 

My young mom self imagined my family needed a faith overhaul with drastic changes necessary. Thankfully, over time, my mustard seed faith enabled small steps forward allowing God’s grace to claim our family. 

We don’t have a perfect faith or a perfect family but we lean into God’s love daily and that’s the gift of faith the size of a mustard seed.

Sometimes life still feels big and daunting, yet I am grateful I don’t have to figure it all out, have all the answers, or assume someone else's plan for my family.

God says all we need is a faith the size of a mustard seed.