Last week it was below 0 degrees in Lexington!
We had to b
undle Dustin up to take him to daycare.
undle Dustin up to take him to daycare.We had a slight dusting of snow this weekend, but not enough to amount to anything. I've been waiting for one big snow shower so that Tim and I can go sledding. He is a Carolina boy through and through, never been sleigh riding!
Today, I was thinking about my sleigh riding experiences as a little girl. Where I grew up, there was an absolutely excellent place to go sleigh riding. The hill had a "double" deck to sled upon. The first hill was short and there was a plateau (about 3 feet) separating it from the second hill, which was much longer. I have a vivid memory of sitting at the top of the first deck of the hill, looking down with great fright at taking the double deck, rather than starting at the second deck. I was just in grade school at the time, and not a very brave kid. (It's a good thing extreme sports were not big at the time.)
I recall that a junior high girl came along and pushed me from the top deck. I went cascading into the air--my sleigh came out from under me, with a thud I landed on the hill of the second deck, right on my back. From there, I slid down the rest of the hill and lay sprawled out at the bottom. I was out of breath and thought I was dying. I called to my friends to go get my father, since I certainly was dying. I think they just stood at the top, giggling over the spectacle that they'd just witnessed. Obviously, I lived.
I think God is a little like that sleigh riding experience. He wants to thrill us with the ride. In order to truly realize the joy of the ride, we must let go of our fear. The difference from that sleigh ride, God does not push us into the ride. He simply calls us, asks us to follow Him. ("Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19)
In order to experience the excitement of the double decker hill, we must set our fear aside and just choose to go, to have confidence that the ride will be thrilling and there will be no broken bones as a result. I love the response that Matthew reveals from the disciples, "At once they left their nets and followed him." Matthew 4:20. The disciples possessed real, living faith. They did not look back. They did not fear the landing. They simply followed.
This year, I want fear to be taken off of the table for me. I want to experience the thrill of the double decker ride without fear of the landing.
"In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you." (Isaiah 54:14).
I think God is a little like that sleigh riding experience. He wants to thrill us with the ride. In order to truly realize the joy of the ride, we must let go of our fear. The difference from that sleigh ride, God does not push us into the ride. He simply calls us, asks us to follow Him. ("Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19)
In order to experience the excitement of the double decker hill, we must set our fear aside and just choose to go, to have confidence that the ride will be thrilling and there will be no broken bones as a result. I love the response that Matthew reveals from the disciples, "At once they left their nets and followed him." Matthew 4:20. The disciples possessed real, living faith. They did not look back. They did not fear the landing. They simply followed.
This year, I want fear to be taken off of the table for me. I want to experience the thrill of the double decker ride without fear of the landing.
"In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you." (Isaiah 54:14).
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