“Grandpa! Grandpa!” Annie and Max ran to Grandpa who had just entered the door. Each child excitedly grabbed and hugged one of Grandpa’s legs, almost causing him to lose his balance.
“Oh my” chuckled Grandpa, “How are my two little grandchildren?” he asked, as he tried picking both of them in his arms, barely lifting them off the ground.
“Grandpa, we’re ready to go!” Max hopped out of Grandpa’s arms and picked up his blue knapsack. Annie followed; she put on her purple knapsack.
“Okay, well then, let’s go!” said Grandpa happily. They helped Mother put the picnic basket in the car. After a prayer, off they drove.
It took them about an hour before they were out of the city, and green fields began to appear more and more. The distant mountains looked more imposing than ever. The children couldn’t take their eyes off the beauty of nature. Grandpa and Mother would recite verses by memory found in Psalms speaking of the wonders of God. Finally, after a very long drive, they came to a dirt road that led to a small white house surrounded by trees. It was in the middle of a great field. An old black tire tied with a sturdy rope hung from a tree close to the house. The children hopped out of the car and went to swing on it while Mother and Grandpa went to prepare the picnic under two large trees. After some playtime, the children went to eat.
“Today is a special day, children,” said Mother, “Many years ago, when I was a child, just like the both of you, Grandpa did something special with me and today I will do the same with you.”
“Yes,” said Grandpa, as he looked at one of the trees, “and my father did with me as well.”
“What is it, Mother, Grandpa?” Annie asked. Both children had an anxious look on their faces; they couldn’t wait to know what special thing they would do. Mother and Grandpa smiled.
“Look here.” Grandpa took a neatly folded cloth out of his pocket. He carefully opened it and opened his hand to catch two very tiny black seeds. “Open your hands.” The children opened their hands, and each one received a seed.
“These are mustard seeds. They are one of the smallest seeds, yet when they grow, they become large, majestic, and beautiful trees, like the ones we are under right now.” The children gazed up in awe.
“Grandpa planted that one there when he was a boy with his father, and he and I planted this one,” Mother said, as she pointed to each tree.
“Why?” asked Max, as he looked at the tiny black seed sitting in the palm of his hand.
“To remind us about the words of Jesus,” Grandpa answered, as he pulled out his Bible from his brown leather bag. After flipping the pages a bit, he began to read, “And He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”
“What does that mean, Grandpa?” asked Annie, as she imagined one of the mountains in the distance moving from one place to another.
“Well children, faith means to believe in what we can’t see, nor touch physically, something that is not palpable. As human beings, we tend to have many doubts, just like the disciples. Yet Jesus says that if we believe even a tiny bit, just as the seeds you hold in your hands, we will experience marvelous things. In your lives, you will face many trials and obstacles, but remember it only takes a little faith to move mountains. Though your faith begins as small as a mustard seed, it will eventually grow to be a great mature tree. Never forget whom you’ve believed in, Jesus Christ, the triumphant Saviour; never doubt Him, He will never let you down.”
“Let us pray, and as a symbol of our faith, you will plant these two seeds here today,” Mother said as she knelt down. Grandpa placed his hands upon the hands of his grandchildren and blessed them. After they had prayed, the children happily planted their seeds next to Mother’s and Grandpa’s trees.