Moving a Mountain

”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

This is the theme verse for Camp Barnabas this year.  When we all read it out loud at the beginning of the week, I muttered to God, “I don’t know about this.  I haven’t seen this happen.  I’m getting pretty skeptical about moving mountains.  You’re gonna have to show me how this works.”  

Our friends had sent their son to camp for the first time this year.  I won’t go into details, but suffice it to say there was a lot hanging on his experience that week.  By the last night of camp, it was looking pretty bleak.  I talked to him for a while about the decision he was going to make, and I thought it was hopeless.  He was not going to choose the route that clearly looked like the best option for him and that we were all praying he would choose.  I walked away from the conversation feeling dejected.  Shortly after that, a Barnabas staff member said he was going to give it one last shot.  I warned him that it looked like a lost cause.  

But I still chose to pray about it.  Because when things look hopeless, God can move in.  

We were at the evening devotional.  I looked up at that verse above, which was painted in huge letters across the back fence, and started praying straight from that verse.  I said, “I don’t have any more faith than a tiny mustard seed that you can change his mind.  He’s recalcitrant and angry.  But I’m still praying, God.  I’m asking you to move that mountain from here to there.  Take his mind and his attitude and his vision and move it from HERE to THERE.  I can’t do it.  But I’m asking you to do it.”

And He did.

Our friend’s son responded positively to that last person he spoke to.  This camp staffer challenged him and didn’t sugarcoat anything, and when he saw me later, he said, “It couldn’t have gone any better.”  I almost fell over.  I really didn’t think that mountain was going to move, but I prayed for it anyway.  

By the next day, our friend’s son had made the choice we all wanted him to make.  He chose the route for his future that will be best for him.  As I left camp, I looked back at that fence and smiled at those words about moving that mountain.  And thanked God.