Mustard Seed

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, `Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, `We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" Luke 17:5-10

I love working with children as they are willing to imagine and not worry about limits and convention. They dream big. Adults know all the ways things can go so very wrong, and so avoid conflict and stepping out. Children give it a try because they are not so worried about failure. They fall often and get right back up. We fall and we wonder whether we will be able to ever get up. 

Jesus invites us as his followers to step out in faith, even if we are taking baby steps. We calls us to be childlike in our trust and to believe that God is more ready to move mountains than we are to ask. We cannot know if God is alive in our life and community unless we step out in faith. Just like one can't go anywhere in a parked car, we cannot go anywhere with securely parked faith. We need to be both childlike and bold for the love of God in this world.

Today, I ask God to help me step out like a child, not in fear but with abundant hope and faith. May we all step out in little things, knowing that God's love is ready to supply everything.