If you know me, you’ll know that I love skiing. LOVE it. I love the feel of freezing air burning in my lungs. I love the icy wind on my nose, sitting on the lift, watching other people zooming down the perfectly groomed hill. I love the sheer exhilaration of racing wide open, coming around a corner and feeling the blades find the groove perfectly. Bending down, leaning into the mountain. Legs burning, heart pounding, I give every turn all I have. Over the years, I have spent countless blissful hours on the slopes with my dad. He is the best skier I know, and has taught me everything about the sport. I have worked on advancing many tiny details, that when put together, make me a “good skier”. But over all these years, there is one lesson that was harder to learn that the rest. Its something I see beginners struggle with over and over again. One of those things that easily shows skill level on the mountain.
See, when you find your feet racing out from under you on a mountain of snow, your instinct is to lean away from it. To lean back in your boots, because its scary. You don’t understand how to control movement yet, and so leaning forward and downhill seems like the worst idea. But in reality, its exactly what you need to do. Leaning back gives a false sensation of security. It makes you feel like you’re more in control, but leaning back is actually what is making you out of control. In order to master turning, you have to lean forward. Bend those knees, and lean down (my dad teaches this skill by making new skiers hold their poles with their knees bent). At first, its terrifying. It feels all wrong, but its right. And after a little practice, you quickly see that the further forward you bend, the more control you have.
In skimboarding, you throw your board over that perfect glassy inch of water left on the sand, following the wave back into the sea. When you jump on the board, you have to time it so that both feet land at the same time. You cannot hesitate, even though putting one foot on first seems better. If you don’t land with both feet, then one foot shoots in front of you with the board, and you end up on your butt in the sand (with a possibly hurt tailbone). When you’re swimming in the ocean, people get hurt in waves because they try and jump over them. When a wave is too big though, you have to dive under it. If you dive through/ under the wave, you’ll come out on the other side just fine. If you try and fight it, you’ll end up on the beach with sand up your nose. In all of these things, you have to commit. Bend forward, jump with both feet, dive.
Faith is like this. When God calls you to something, you cannot half commit, or it hurts. You have to go all the way. Jesus didn’t say “give half of what you have” he said “give all you have”. The call is not for the faint of heart, and it cannot be done without abandon. When things get hard, its often people’s instinct to turn away from God. But this is like skiing. When its hard, don’t lean back, lean in. Only by committing 100% will you make it. Don’t let that wave pummel you, dive!
Right now, its the holiday season. I won’t lie, I miss my family. I miss them a lot. But Uganda isn’t a “when it works for me” type of calling. Its a 100% kind of calling, and so that is what I have to give it. Sure, I can miss my family. I can be sad I am not with them, but I cannot dwell on it. Right now, I have to lean into my calling, and into Jesus. I have to give this my all, pouring more of myself out so I have more room for Jesus. Only by serving Him with everything I have will fill me up. So I am focusing on the good and beautiful things God has given me here, and thanking Him for all the blessing I have. These afflictions are eclipsed by glory, His glory. And that is a good thing :)
See, when you find your feet racing out from under you on a mountain of snow, your instinct is to lean away from it. To lean back in your boots, because its scary. You don’t understand how to control movement yet, and so leaning forward and downhill seems like the worst idea. But in reality, its exactly what you need to do. Leaning back gives a false sensation of security. It makes you feel like you’re more in control, but leaning back is actually what is making you out of control. In order to master turning, you have to lean forward. Bend those knees, and lean down (my dad teaches this skill by making new skiers hold their poles with their knees bent). At first, its terrifying. It feels all wrong, but its right. And after a little practice, you quickly see that the further forward you bend, the more control you have.
In skimboarding, you throw your board over that perfect glassy inch of water left on the sand, following the wave back into the sea. When you jump on the board, you have to time it so that both feet land at the same time. You cannot hesitate, even though putting one foot on first seems better. If you don’t land with both feet, then one foot shoots in front of you with the board, and you end up on your butt in the sand (with a possibly hurt tailbone). When you’re swimming in the ocean, people get hurt in waves because they try and jump over them. When a wave is too big though, you have to dive under it. If you dive through/ under the wave, you’ll come out on the other side just fine. If you try and fight it, you’ll end up on the beach with sand up your nose. In all of these things, you have to commit. Bend forward, jump with both feet, dive.
Faith is like this. When God calls you to something, you cannot half commit, or it hurts. You have to go all the way. Jesus didn’t say “give half of what you have” he said “give all you have”. The call is not for the faint of heart, and it cannot be done without abandon. When things get hard, its often people’s instinct to turn away from God. But this is like skiing. When its hard, don’t lean back, lean in. Only by committing 100% will you make it. Don’t let that wave pummel you, dive!
Right now, its the holiday season. I won’t lie, I miss my family. I miss them a lot. But Uganda isn’t a “when it works for me” type of calling. Its a 100% kind of calling, and so that is what I have to give it. Sure, I can miss my family. I can be sad I am not with them, but I cannot dwell on it. Right now, I have to lean into my calling, and into Jesus. I have to give this my all, pouring more of myself out so I have more room for Jesus. Only by serving Him with everything I have will fill me up. So I am focusing on the good and beautiful things God has given me here, and thanking Him for all the blessing I have. These afflictions are eclipsed by glory, His glory. And that is a good thing :)
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