A few weeks ago, we set off with the youth on our annual ski trip. This year we headed back to Camelback Mountain for a weekend of snowtubing, skiing and snowboarding. As a Youth Director, I have been on about eight ski trips now, but when it comes to skiing, I still consider myself a beginner. I like to stick with the bunny slopes.
There are some people who look up at the black diamonds and think, "Man, that would be fun." I look up and think "There's a broken leg waiting to happen." I believe there are two types of people in the world. Those who stare adventure in the face and get a thrill from highly dangerous sports and activities. And then there are those like me who don't find careening down a mountain at fast speeds exciting. I find it something closer to terrifying.
Sure, over the years I have gotten the basic technique down. I can go down the advanced beginner slopes without falling and I know how to get up when I do. But I still feel this gigantic sense of fear whenever we head to the slopes for the first day of skiing. Fear almost seems to take on a human persona as it grips me. I feel its fingers slowly come down around my heart as my lungs tighten up and my hands start to sweat.
Talking to other people lately, I find that I am not alone on the bunny slope. So many of us harbor a great amount of anxiety and fear deep inside our hearts. Maybe we worry how we are going to get everything done each day, how we'll do our best when we are filled with insecurities. Other times we worry for other people and their safety, particularly our families. Fear tends to hold us in its grasp and if we let it, it can hold us virtually immobile.
When I am faced with fears, I often look to the familiar verse, 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." At first glance, I love this verse, because it's telling me I can let go. That I can cast all of this anxiety and fear onto the one who cares for me. It is beautiful in its simplicity. Simply give God all of your worries, because if you haven't figured it out by now, he really does care about you. I love this verse and at the same time it troubles me, because I wonder how to do it exactly. It sounds easy to cast all your anxiety onto God, but when I actually try to do it I find that grasp of fear holding on tight. It takes me awhile to gently loosen each finger, to lessen its hold and to eventually give the anxiety over to the only one who will carry it for me.
I seem to lose my fear of skiing when I have someone to ski with. Whether it is my husband or a friend or a member of our youth group, it helps to know that someone else is there, skiing beside me. That way when I inevitably fall down, that person will take notice, stop and help me back up. It's similar with God. He's right there skiing next to us, bringing us a sense of security in knowing that if we fall, he'll help us back up.
Let's remember our invisible ski partner next time we feel the grip of fear starting to tighten.
