Blind Skier

One of my favorite pastimes in Colorado is skiing. Last weekend, the snow was so intense in the morning that I could hardly see more than a few feet ahead of me. At one point the powder completely covered my boots. Fortunately, the sky cleared that afternoon and gave us a beautiful and perfect ending to the day.

During a quick trip to the lodge before lunch, I saw a blind skier and her instructor preparing to hit the slopes. I am always in awe of anyone who perseveres beyond his or her disabilities, but there is something about a blind skier that completely humbles me. That day, my heart was captured by the determination of a young skier who was willing to put her absolute trust in another. It is a picture I still can't seem to get out of my mind.

The truth is, our relationship with Christ is much like that of a blind skier and her instructor. Only God knows what lies down the hill or around the bend. He sees the trees and the bumps and the obstacles that we might face . He knows when it is appropriate to go around them or over them or through them. He knows when to push us and when to slow us down, and He times His commands just perfectly...never giving us more instruction than we need. Our job is simply to listen and to trust His voice, and to rest in the fact that He is right beside us.

I'll be honest and tell you that the past few weeks have been challenging for me. I not only feel like a blind skier, I feel like a blind skier who is on skis for the first time in the middle of a snowstorm. I am straining to hear the voice of the Lord and praying that I am making the right turns at the right time. I am trusting that He will redirect me if I am off course, and I am resting in the fact that I have an instructor who loves me and knows my limitations. He is a good God, and I am believing Him to guide me through an adventure that is abundantly more than I could ever even begin to imagine.