Often times, the life we planned is not the life we live.
Embracing change takes faith. And, many believe with faith, faith even as small as a mustard seed, nothing is impossible.
Marcie Finney Ditto holds on to that belief as she spends hours at a day at her kitchen table carefully designing jewelry.
Beyond Belief: Mustard Seed Helps Woman Sow New Future
"An artist's touch or a surgeon's hand that has to be down to the finest touch," is how she describes her craft.
It was the touch of someone else's hand that led Marcie to leave her graphic design career to grow a jewelry business from home in Fort Worth.
"I was sitting on my back porch in prayer, and I was given a vision of a finished piece," she says. "And I just kind of prayed and went, am I supposed to do this? How am i supposed to do this?"
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The piece she saw in her mind was a pendant with a vine resting in mustard seeds.
"I saw the seeds, and I saw them in housing and, it had a vine shape on it, and so I sketched it out, drew it out. And, like any creative artist, you try to get as close as you can what you saw."
She knew immediately, though, the meaning of the mustard seed and its powerful symbol of faith.
"I've always loved the verse in Matthew which is basically, if you have faith as small as mustard seed, if you carry that faith with you, you can move mountains in your life and nothing is impossible," she said.
Marcie carried that faith and with no formal training in designing or making jewelry left her graphic design career to launch Mustard Seed Jewelry in 2015 with $500.
"I was 36 at the time, so when you find your gift, it's gonna happen to you at any time in life," she says.
Marcie makes every piece - necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings and pendants - by hand.
"I am doing about 40 pieces in a day is my production level," she says. "One at a time."
The five-pound bag of seeds Marcies uses is stored in her pantry. The seeds are the heart and soul of her jewelry, but she is just as careful about the other components.
Her stylish pieces are crafted with American-produced recycled metal. She sets shiny crystals in place with a toothpick. And, mustard seeds, are in every piece.
"That's why this is more than just a pretty piece of jewelry. It's something people look down at and they go, oh, yeah, 'I'm on purpose today' or 'Oh, yeah, I can keep going,' she says.
Marcie’s business is going so well, she’ll soon the operation from her kitchen table to new space. She’s building a new workspace and showroom in her back yard to keep up with demand.
"I think initially, it's the shiny factor. I think it's a very beautifully well-designed piece which is the God in it that I love in that I wasn't formally trained to do this," she says. "Then you get into the conversation, and you understand it is a conversation piece for the greater good. And you're talking about how your faith is inspired and how your faith can inspire other people by wearing it. And I think that's huge. "
Marcie packs her jewelry in beautiful blue boxes. Each purchase comes with note cards that include the mustard seed scripture found in Mathew and, surprisingly, $2 in cash tucked in an envelope. Marcie calls it seed cash, and she gives it to her customers for them to pass on and sow goodness.
"When you sow something in kindness and love, even if it's small, it can be increased into something you didn't believe could happen," she says.
They are more demonstrations of Marcie's own faith.
"I look at the seeds here, and I get emotional because it had to be greater than me to be able to do 10,000 pieces in a year. I look at it and think that's not possible, and it happened," she says tearing up.
Those 10,000 pieces were made and sold in 2016 online and at events hosted by nonprofits. And, here's where Marcie again sows those seeds of goodness. She gives 30% back to the nonprofit. Last year, it added up to $47,000 in donations to local charities.
"I definitely feel a solid, steadfast beautiful feeling in my heart that this is what my life is purposed for."
A life built on faith and the powerful message in the mustard seed.
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