My whole family likes to ski.
I don’t.
Every time we went skiing over the last several years, they would all glide down the slopes, skis floating above the snow, turning with ease, stopping on a dime. Me? I would sink into the snow, couldn’t turn my skis without huge effort, and would fight for every advance in my technique.
I skied by stopping my way down the mountain.
That is until last year, when I had an instructor who could help me figure out how to ride my way down instead. Rather than stopping at every turn, my turns would connect into one long ride. Now, I can hesitatingly say that I enjoy skiing.
Sometimes.
Funny enough, I do the same in my spiritual life.
So often in the last few years, God has placed an opportunity or desire in front of me and I’ve looked at it in fear and trepidation. I have no idea how I’m going to do what He’s obviously calling me to, and I am verbose in telling God that He is quite mistaken in this calling.
Recently, I made the conscious decision not to fight God’s will anymore, and I was immediately slammed with a really tough test of my commitment.
It was about halfway through that test that I realized that I was doing the absolute opposite of what I had said I was going to do. The problem was that I hadn’t meant it completely. When I said I would always do what I thought God was asking, riding rather than fighting and stopping my way through it, I realized that I was talking about the positive things – the things that may have been hard to do, but were part of something that felt like blessing.
I wasn’t talking about the hard things – suffering, illness, or brokenness. I didn’t want to ride on that mountain. Who does?
Meanwhile it was exactly what God had in mind for me. It was a question – “Will you say yes even to this? Will you trust me through it and stop the struggle enough to find Me in it? Not after it, not outside waiting, but here in the middle of it? Will you ride with me or will you spend all your energy trying to stop?”
It was a challenge – "Embrace your cross and find glory in it. Experience all of this. Don’t miss a moment, because there is beauty here. There is wonder here. There is grace here. There is growth here. You will unite with me here."
All of these were true and by God’s grace I was able to finally ride my way through what God had for me.
Currently, I’m doing much better at riding instead of stopping. I’m giving God my (generally) unreserved yes when He calls.
I’m saying yes, but it’s not a frantic yes. It’s not a pressured yes. It’s a yes of peace. It’s a yes of confidence. It’s a yes of trust. It’s a yes of love, knowing that God’s plan for me is a perfect plan that will not fail. It’s an incredible journey. I just need to ride it, not stop through it.
Today I’m riding.
Is God asking you to do something? Are you riding or stopping? Comment below and let me know how you’re doing. I’ll pray for you or cheer for you, whichever one you need!
