Skiing Down the Mountain

I took my girlfriend skiing the other day. Our families vacationed together and spent one of those days skiing on an unfamiliar mountain. She was doing well on the bunny hill so after lunch I invited her to go up the next chair. We studied the map and decided there was an easy way down. It was a long traverse that was nearly flat so we skirted around the mountain until we reached the end where a sign marked the way down – a black diamond run. How could this happen, the map showed a trail that wasn’t there? We hiked back and found a ‘slightly’ easier way down that was being used for slalom race training. I guided her slowly down the mountain on the side of this course. She was trying to stay positive as she turned and fell, turned and fell. What a horrible navigator I was!

Sometimes I think I’m a better route-finder than I really am. Usually, in my independent nature, I want to choose which way my life turns . . . even in unfamiliar territory I figure I can use my best judgment and make right choices. But, like the skiing mishap, I’ve found my way into a few problems which were pretty difficult to get out of – whole, without bumps and bruises.

Why do we do this? It reminds me of my kids when they were little when they insisted on doing life their way – and struggled and cried because they couldn’t. We all have an independent streak. We don’t really want to bend our will when we’ve set in motion our plan, in our way, at our time.

Here is God’s way ~ “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8.

How do we set the Lord before us? We can’t do it by running ahead of him. We have to surrender to the leader – which is often a daily decision: Him or me. Whose advice and wisdom will I follow: His or mine? He counsels and instructs me, but, sometimes I ignore Him, don’t listen, and don’t pause to ask. Other times I hear . . . and debate. My independence surges; my fleshly desires repeat their wants. Do I really want to surrender to the Lord? I do, but, I don’t.

“God, today, I choose you again. I choose to surrender my will to yours. You lead, I will follow. Thank you for the blessings you give as I follow you. Because of You I will not be shaken. Help me to stay behind you and not ahead. Help me to ‘set you always before me’ all day long. Amen”