Last month, my boys were supposed to go skiing with their scout troop, but couldn’t go because they were sick. It’s been a year full of disappointments, so I wanted to make it up to them and take them skiing. For a little background, the last time I skied, I was in high school, and now I have kids in high school! Still, I’m not quite over the hill yet (pun intended), and I had fun skiing back in the day, so I decided to give it a try. Besides, there couldn’t be a better socially-distanced activity: if you’re within 6 feet of someone on the slopes, you’re in a bit of trouble, plus, when you’re wearing skis, you can’t get within 6 feet of anyone!
We had the perfect opportunity this past week to go. We took our holiday – Presidents’ Day – and hit the slopes. It was a day of lessons. Not ski lessons, but life lessons. We started out on the easiest slopes and took it slow. Did I fall? Yes. Did I get up again? Yes! As the day went on, my ability increased and so did my confidence.
At one point, I realized if I was going too fast, it was ok to fall, but then I ended up riding partway down the mountain with my bottom on my skis. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of fun, but it wasn’t the way I was meant to go down. In order to truly experience the thrill of skiing, I had to get up and face going a little too fast for comfort.
Was I the fastest, most graceful skier on the slopes? Not by a long shot. Small children whizzed by me. But for me, it wasn’t about speed or proving myself the best. Sometimes other people will fly by us, but that shouldn’t get us down. We all have different gifts, and we all use them differently. Take time to appreciate who God made you to be and don’t waste energy on comparing yourself to others.
Sometimes, like me on the more challenging slopes, we end up out of our comfort zone, but that’s not always a bad thing. In fact, it can be a very good thing. God often takes us out of our comfort zones so He can stretch us and grow us and use us to do great things. What kind of Biblical heroes would we have if Moses never confronted Pharaoh, If David ran away from Goliath, if Noah never built the ark, or if Mary said no to an unwed pregnancy? If I stayed in my comfort zone, I would have missed some special memories with my boys. They’ll be grown and out of the house soon, so I want to make as many memories as I can!
Sailing down the slopes was fun, and I laughed a lot at myself when I fell, but surprisingly, one of the best times of the day was on the ski lift. Because there were three of us, we took turns going up in a pair or as a single rider. That meant in between the wild rides down the hill, I had a one-on-one ride with each of my boys. We slowed down and connected during that time. And then, every third time back up the mountain, I rode alone. In those moments, I spent time with God, thanking Him for the simple pleasure of getting outdoors and connecting with my boys.
We’ve had a lot of snow lately in Pennsylvania, and it’s easy to look at it as an inconvenience, but gazing out over the pristine white mountain from the vantage point of the lift, all I saw was God’s creative handiwork and a gift we could use for enjoyment – skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snowmen, and snow forts. Sure, we can think about the nuisance of slick roads and shoveling driveways, but many things in life can be either a gift or an inconvenience. It’s all about perspective.
So today, when God calls don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You never know where He will lead you. And when He does, enjoy the ride!
Philippians 1 : 4-6
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Dear Lord, Thank you for all the gifts you have given us. Please help us remember You have a good work to do in us. Please help us step out of our comfort zones to live the life you have intended for us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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