Thoughts

'Jesus says this, "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him."' - Mark 11:23 (NIV)

Jesus does not say, 'speak about the mountain, describe its characteristics, examine its qualities, analyze its nuances and become overwhelmed by its enormity'. No! He tells us to speak to it and say, 'Get out'! I realized I had been spending way too much time speaking about the mountain rather than telling it to get out of my backyard. Why was I doing that? Because I felt sorry for myself. I wanted more sympathy and understanding and I wasn't getting it, so I thought I would make it my job to generate some. Trust me, it is painful to admit how petty I was being. But I am putting it in black and white for you to see. Is there a mountain in your life that you are admiring or analyzing that you should be telling to move out? Perhaps there is an issue or an obstacle that you have become so used to living with and talking about that you are now reluctant to lose the attention that it generates.

It's a tough message to give and even tougher to receive. I know from personal experience how hard it is to really live in the realm of a faith that does not allow us to wallow in our misery. Of course, I am not suggesting that we should live in denial either, with our heads buried in the sand. I remember a comic scene in the 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' movie. The Black Knight has been mortally wounded. His attacker, King Arthur, has lopped off both arms and one leg. Blood is gushing out in every direction, yet he bravely maintains 'It's just a flesh wound'. Don't throw all intelligent thought out the window like he did. Instead, remember there are facts and then there is God's truth. Repeating the facts does nothing but inform. Confessing God's truth transforms.

(Excerpt from 'Keep Walking' by Linda Pesavento)