A Choice to Carve and Press On
Skiing is something I enjoy. Snow is something I love and wish we had more of where I live. Cold weather is something I’ll tolerate in order to do activities that I enjoy, like skiing or sledding or snowball fights.
On a recent ski trip, my husband and I got our fair share of cold weather. If you’re into winter sports, you expect the outdoor temperature to be cold. You expect having to bundle up from head to toe, stuffing hand warmers and toe warmers into any crevice just to keep you warm.
As we approached the ski resort, fresh snow covered the roads. As we got out of the car the wind blew snow everywhere. Boy was it cold! Winter had arrived on the mountain.
If you’re into winter sports, you know that once you put on multiple layers you are fully committed. There’s nothing worse than getting everything on and putting on the bulky ski boots only to then have to go to the bathroom. It’s not easy! But for those of us who love winter sports, we do it because we enjoy it. To us it’s not an inconvenience.
One particular day when we stepped out on the slope, the high was 11 degrees, but it felt like zero! Winds sustained 15-25 mph with many gusts over 30mph. We were fully invested. The wind hit you going up and down the mountain. Rocking you back and forth on the lift and slowing you down if you were out in the open where the trees couldn’t block the wind.
Skiers and snowboarders alike have a unique terminology that goes along with the sport. One of those is the word, “carve.” It’s a technique that involves turning on the edges of the skis or board. A way to cut through the snow but you must build up technique to prevent falls and your ski from getting stuck in the snow. Just picture going diagonal across the trail obviously instead of going straight down. If you did that, you would have way too much speed and it wouldn’t be good.
Ben and I hit one trail that came out to a long straightaway approaching the ski lift. As soon as I rounded the last set of trees to what I thought would be an open, easy glide to the lift, was not. The resort was making snow. That in itself mixed with the 30+mph wind gusts, I couldn’t see anything. It felt like little knives were piercing what little areas of skin were exposed to the elements. I couldn’t see Ben in front of me and the wind slowed me down tremendously. I felt like I had slowed to a crawl.
It was painfully cold and I couldn’t see anything, even with my goggles on. As I finally made it to the ski lift and sat down, I couldn’t help but think about the times on this journey of life in which I couldn’t see but I kept going. Times in which waiting seasons didn’t make sense. When I couldn’t understand God’s plan or see the bigger picture.
In all honesty, we all have times in which our vision gets clouded. We can’t make sense of life and all that is currently going on around us. Moments in which all we seem to know is our through-the-roof anxiety and overwhelm.
I pray that these words can be an encouragement to you today to keep pressing on. You may not have on all of your winter gear, but I hope you’ll keep carving through this life. I know sometimes it is so very hard to keep going, but please trust that there are brighter days and moments coming. You’re carving. You’re going back and forth, but you’re getting there. Fix your eyes on God. Trust that He loves you and is with you. He is orchestrating everything behind the scenes for you. It’s time to carve and press on.
Isaiah 26:3-5, NLT
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock. He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant.
