I Tell You the Truth Matthew 17:20 Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed

Matthew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. 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."

Dear Savior, this is such a precious verse and such an encouragement.   In fact, I have taped a mustard seed on every business card I give to students and parents at Liberty University where I work.  I ask each one if they can quote the verse.  To the person, if they can quote any of it, quote the part about "faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I have seen You turn despair into hope and discouragement to encouragement with this tiny seed and this verse.
       You had given your disciples power in Matthew 10 to cast out demons, raise the dead and heal the sick.  They had done much, but in this section they could not cast the demon out of this young boy.
After You did, they came and asked You in private why they could not and this was Your reply to them.
      I tease the students and parents a bit and tell them that I really do not think You are telling them to move our SnowFlex that is on Liberty Mountain to their home town, or to do major landscaping.  However You are telling us that there will be mountains in our lives that seem to be unmovable: sickness, disabilities, financial problems, relational problems, academic issues, etc., and if we have faith the size on the tiny seed, nothing will be impossible for us.  I also believe that You are telling us that without You, we can do nothing, but with You (Because it is You working in our lives, not us) that nothing You have given us to do will be impossible for us.
      This last spring, I asked You why You chose the Mustard seed out of all of the seeds in the world that You created.  It is not the smallest seed.  In my spirit, You encouraged me to plant some to see.  I did, and I saw a wondrous thing!  Most seeds take at least 7 days to germinate and send out a root.  I planted some seeds on Sunday afternoon and on Tuesday the sprout was above ground!  You taught me that if the seed of faith is planted in the fertile soil of a heart, watered with Your word, and kept in the Son-shine, it will grow very quickly.
The seeds I planted in the large pot at home grew to be about a foot tall, were robust and even flowered.  The pot was out in the yard where it was in the elements.  We had some hard downpours of rain and big wind storms this summer.  The plants took a bit of a beating, but thrived.
We were to have a major storm so I brought the pot up to the house and placed it just outside the front wall of our screened in porch under the eves troth for protection.  It survived the storm, but in 2 days most of the leaves had been stripped off by worms.
I may be wrong, but I believe God showed me that trials are good for us and keep our faith strong and healthy, even though we get a bit beaten up while they are being endured.  But if we are placed, or keep ourselves placed, in a "safe" place; the little worms of doubt, disappointment, fear, bitterness, etc. can eat away at that faith and eventually kill it altogether.