It’s a tale of two days on the slopes, or What a difference a day makes. Too big a story to tell in one part, so you’ll have to come back tomorrow for part two.

Face the fear

A friend invited me on a girls’ ski trip. My answer to the trip itself was an almost immediate “YES!” I love the mountains, I love the snow, I had points to fly with, and it hit just right on the calendar.. It would be a bit of refreshment before the hard work of the next three months began.

But I didn’t plan to ski. It’s been twenty-five years since I put my feet into those painful boots and clicked them onto a pair of sticks.

So much fear. What had I forgotten? What could my much older body even do. But it was more than that. Was it foolish? Self indulgent?

Still, I knew if I travelled to a ski resort and didn’t at least try, I’d regret it. I’d been a once-a-year, youth trip kind of skier, but I loved it. I’m not the least bit athletic, but somehow, skiing was something I did pretty well. Did I mention I loved it?

So I decided I’d take a lesson and ease into it. I was still afraid but I decided to walk into my fear instead of letting it beat me.

Can I trust myself?

I knew my real struggle was trusting myself. Truth be told, that’s a particular struggle of mine. I’ve messed up a lot, made wrong choices, let people down—and more than anyone else, I remember every mistake. Was skiing yet another one?

Everyone had told me it was like riding a bike. It would come back to me. And it did! From the first turn I took, I knew I’d gotten back something I had loved. So. Much. Joy!

My heart was bursting, and tears filled my eyes. She was still there! The girl who’d loved flying down the mountain with the cold wind on her face and the sound of her skis cutting through the crisp snow.

I liked that girl. And that first day of skiing was a kind of restoration. I couldn’t help but think of God’s promise to Israel through the prophet Joel.

The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Joel 2:24-27

I know I have an abundant life through Jesus. Most of the time I live like it. But sometimes I feel old, dried up, and alone. But that day on the slopes I felt like something inside me came back to life. The Lord my God restored something I loved, refreshed my spirit, and renewed my soul. And I praised His name.

Trust the turns

Most of the skiers in my lesson were there to master their turns—to move from a snowplow to parallel skis, or as some say, from pizza slice to French fries. Our instructor kept calling out, “Trust the turn!

There’s a moment in the turn when your skis are pointed straight downhill, and the less experienced skier can feel a little out of control. If you stick with it and continue the turn you slow a little and keep control.. But in that moment, panic can set in—if you don’t trust the turn. You revert to a snowplow, ski off into the trees, or even fall down.

When that instructor yelled, “Trust the turn!“ and I watched my fellow skiers heed the cry and either keep turning or panic and falter, I thought of the turns God has put in my way. There’ve been a few.

I can trust the turn, knowing it’s from Him and He’ll carry me through—or I can live in fear and miss out on what He has ahead for me. I’ve done both. It seems like a no-brainer, until you’re on top of that mountain going into the turn.

Our instructor said skiing is all in the head. I don’t disagree.

What if your turn goes wrong?

That’s a whole other story. Come back tomorrow for “What I learned skiing for the first time in 25 years, in my sixties, Part Two.” In the meantime…

Come Alongside

What would today look like if you faced a fear, trusted yourself, or trusted the turn ahead? Really, it all comes down to trusting God. And you can do that, whether you’re in the middle of His glorious mountains or at home in your ordinary town.

Please share your “run” with us today. Where has trusting God gotten you? If you’re in a turn or see one approaching, and you’re struggling to trust Him, how can I pray for you? Comment to share with the Come Alongside Community or message to share with Christi. Let’s cheer each other on like a class full of level 4 skiers!

Traveling in Grace,

Christi