A Mountain Top Experience

I have never had the pleasure of snow skiing. Because I am afraid of heights, I have never felt the need to strap a couple of sticks of wood to my feet and be drug up some mountain side on a rickety little 'lift', only to be dropped at the top, then propelled through the cold and snow to the bottom. The thought has just never appealed to me. Call me crazy!

My mother, however, thought at one point in her life that this might be a good idea. I don't know if she really wanted to, or if my Dad conned her into it somehow. My mother is not known to be a big risk taker, so I can't imagine it was her idea. Maybe the allure of the scenic Colorado pictures was just too overwhelming for her. Over the years, she has told us the story of her one big skiing experience.

It seems she actually went through all of the procedures to allow her to GET to the the top of the mountain. She donned the gear. She took the mini course to instruct her how NOT to hit a tree at blinding speed. She knew the basics, climbed aboard the lift and got to the top.... and did so while looking particularly stylish in her 70's snow bunny garb.

Once there, however, she discovered she was too frightened to actually launch herself down the side of the mountain. She tells of how embarrassed she was by the precocious children who had attended the instructional class with her. They had all caught on and raced with confidence past her as they hurled themselves headlong to the bottom, somehow avoiding trees and other obstacles (like my mother who was frozen with fear!)

She said her salvation came in the form of a snow conditioning truck. It was this vehicle's job to go down the mountain and prepare the snow for safer skiing. My mother got behind it, pointed her toes inward so she STAYED behind it , and followed it down the mountain to safety. She knew she had to follow that truck. She knew that with her limited talent in skiing, if she were to have strayed from the path it had prepared, she would be doomed.

Isn't our walk with Christ like that? We know so little, He knows so much. Why would we want to be anywhere but right behind Him, following Him to the safety of the eternal lodge....complete with roaring fire, snugly blanket, hot cocoa and marshmallows? Why stray from the path only to meet with icy spots and trees and maybe an occasional rabid raccoon? Focus on His taillights and He will take you right where you need to be!