Last week she posted a picture of this little sign, and when I read it, my heart skipped a beat.
I wrote it down in my journal because it felt like something I needed to document.
Blake and I are praying for something big right now. Well, we are praying for a handful of big somethings, but there is one big something that we are focused on the most. We think about it. We talk about it. We dream about it. We even LITERALLY dream about it. And we pray about it.
But if I am honest, my prayers haven't been real fervent. I've been a little scared to put too much into my prayer because I don't want to be disappointed.
Do you know what I mean? Are you scared of being disappointed about something not coming to pass that you are hoping for right now?
Because you know and I know....mountains sometimes DON'T (seem to) move. In fact, often they are pretty stubbornly steadfast.
I was driving in the snow the other day. Being new to the North and all, I feel a thrill typing that. Actual snow flakes hitting my windshield as I drove my dirty mini van underneath the interstate that either takes you to Chicago or Detroit. I wonder how long I will live here before I don't look at that interstate sign and ask myself how on earth I live between Chicago and Detroit?! I don't even know how to SAY Detroit. Is it DEEtroit or deeTROIT? I have no idea.
But anyway... as I was driving in the snow between Chicago and Detroit, I was thinking about "the something". The big ole something. And I felt God whisper,
I have been known to move mountains.
I got chill bumps. And not because of the snow. My heater was blasting and I was wearing four layers of clothes. I got chill bumps because when God whispers something to my soul, it affects me on every level.
But I'm going to share with you my vulnerable second response.
I whispered back to God with a little shame.
"But, God, sometimes you don't."
It's true right? Sometimes He doesn't step in like we thought He would. Sometimes it feels like we won't ever have the stories that others have.
The fact is, God isn't a genie. There isn't a recipe or a magic phrase, or a level of coolness or spiritual maturity that guarantees He will move mountains when and how we want.
And sometimes we need to remember that.
But sometimes we need to be reminded that despite that fact, even still, however, on the other hand, nonwithstanding...
He has been known to move mountains.
In Guatemala, we were surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. In the area where we lived there were two huge volcanoes. The biggest, "Agua" was dormant, and the second "Fuego" was active and smoked like a chimney most days. We would take road trips to the beach or the lake or a neighboring village, and the volcanoes were our constant landscapes reminding us of the greatness and beauty of our Creator. One thing that I could never comprehend is how a volcano, let's say Agua, could start out on one side of the road, and after 15 or 30 minutes of driving, it would be on the opposite side of the road. "How does that HAPPEN?!"" I would ask over and over, trip after trip. I was enthralled for six straight years over this. "How does a volcanco move to the OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD!!!!" Blake would say in exasperation over and over as he rolled his eyes, "Christina, WE moved!! AGUA DID NOT MOVE!!"
photo credit: Noah Nehls
And that's the thought that came to me in response to my quiet,
"But God, sometimes you don't move the mountain."
Oh but He DOES! In response to faith, He always moves the mountain. He said it in Matthew 11.
"And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours".
Yet, Agua taught me that sometimes mountains "move" from a gradual change in our perspective as WE keep MOVING forward.
This part: "will come to pass" never hit me until this season. I always had a mental picture of shouting at a mountain and watching it immediately throw itself into the sea while I stood there. But this verse definitely portrays a process doesn't it? It portrays a waiting, an anticipation, an extended confidence. It definitely gives room for a growing and a moving forward and a change of perspective.
As I thought of all of these things, I felt a strong sense of conviction to have great faith in this season because
He has been known to move mountains.
Even if the mountain from last month or last year or ten years ago still stands stubbornly on the same side of the road
He has been known to move mountains.
Even if every day I have to surrender my doubt, my fear of shame and failure, and my pride.
He has been known to move mountains.
Even if it had been years since I experienced the last miracle, I will remind myself that
He has been known to move mountains.
Even if I watch God move mountains for a dozen others while I wait for Him to move mine, I will hold steadfast that
He has been known to move mountains.
My word for this year that the the Lord put into my heart is the word: Build. The ironic thing about it is that I am ignorant about building. I have never nailed two boards together in my life that I can remember. In comparison, the dreams and challenges God has placed in my heart that surround this word: build, are also beyond my capabilities and experience. Because of this, I know without a doubt that I have a whole lot of big, stubborn, intimidating mountains in my path in the year ahead. I'm a little nervous, but also excited. Because you know what?
He has been known to move mountains.
